I AM - BECAUSE YOU ARE

It's the second to last month of these god awful, boring, uninspired wallpapers! GAH! Yes, I know that one or two people are extremely annoyed that I am stopping these, but... I will say it again, sorry, not sorry! Truthfully, though, I have actually been finding my creativity again and living in Photoshop as much as possible these days, so yay! I even launched a new DeviantArt page after killing my old one. I will not be posting everything up there, as some of the projects are very personal, but I will put pieces up from time to time. I am currently working on a 3 panel set for the LO's big girl room but have not decided yet if those will be made public; probably not. I have had a couple of pieces stolen over the years and I don't feel like dealing copyright infringement at this point of my life. So, without further ado... November 2019 November 2019

I realize I have yet to fully explain why, but I posted my "Food Bucket List" back in August and thanks to help from a couple of people it is almost complete! Here's a recap of everything I wanted to accomplish, if you can call it an accomplishment! The Food Bucket List (in no particular order) Madame Cannoli Patisserie & Café – Still need to get to this place! I know a couple of people who wanted to try it as well so I have to start planning! Garde Manger – We went, and it was fantastic! We went a little over the top this time, but after not going for a few years, it was so worth it! Bramble House – We went, their freezers were empty, so I still haven't managed to fulfill this one. And we probably won't make it back there unfortunately *sniff*.  Pizza No.900 – I brought the LO for brunch right around the corner from here last weekend and it never even occurred to me to go for pizza instead! Next time. Orange Julep – Thank you DH, but fee

I don't think I read one book the whole way through all summer long; I just couldn't get into anything. Once Fall started I finished off all of the remaining chick-lit reads I had lined up and then I read a couple of self-helps books recommended by my therapist and a couple of friends as well, and then the Friend Zone book I mentioned in my last post. While the last book wasn't amazing by any means, it did remind me that there are other authors out there that I should try! So, I went scouring for something new and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found! F*ck Marriage by Tarryn Fisher I couldn't put this book down! I was that girl with her nose in her book (now, cellphone) all the way to work again. It's a little bit chick-lit, a little bit romance (usually NOT my thing) and a little bit of heartbreak too. Divorce, affairs, engagements, and a really popular blog as the office setting! And the title was misleading, as in it does not condemn marriage the

The other day a friend mentioned that she had nothing to read and was looking for suggestions. I told her that I had exhausted all of my usual authors myself and had been picking up some random books these last couple of months. At that time I was reading "The Friend Zone" by Abby Jimenez, a cheap Wal-Mart find that wasn't totally horrible. Not a glowing review, is it? I will work on that! The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez Anyhow, we got to talking and she actually remembered that I used to have a widget on my blog displaying my digital bookshelf and she said she kind of missed it. While I don't feel like starting that up again, because most of my traffic is click-through and subscriber based, I thought I would start a new #CurrentlyReading hashtag so you can find book suggestions (or cautions) whenever you wanted to. Now, bear with me, I either go through a book a week... sometimes more, or I don't touch a book for months. I am kind of a book bipolar!

Her name is Christy Quinn Marshall and her recent Facebook post is going viral through mom tribes all around me because it's the most honest, open and raw summary of all our lives right now; spelling mistakes and all! Christy, thank you!  I’m angry. I feel like things never stop piling up. The laundry. The housework. The forms, homework and fundraisers. The bellies that need fed. My ever growing team needs (and deserves!) a solid and powerful leader.  Pressure! Everywhere! The dog needs walked. The van needs cleaned. The friendships need watered. My inbox blows up. Texts that don’t get a text back. The rules on life can be so burdensome. Don’t give them red dye or too much screen time. Keep them away from this app and that site. Make sure they never forget their folder or lunchbox. Get them to this place on time. Remember what color jersey for the game. Oh and tend to your marriage because that ish will completely fall apart the moment you do not. Oh,

Watching my daughter, with her head on the pillow beside me, in that moment between being awake and falling asleep. Hearing an artist you love perform live for the very first time with one of your besties screaming along with you right by your side. Tasting the unique, rich and unexpected flavors of food paired on the plate in front of you at a restaurant you can only afford to eat at once a year, at most! The indescribable smell that fills the air of the plane when the wheels touch down in my home away from home... I wish I could bottle it along with their sand. And lastly, feeling the warmth of a hug from a dear friend you haven't seen in some time (or maybe you just saw them yesterday, who cares).

But now the day bleeds Into nightfall And you're not here To get me through it all I let my guard down And then you pulled the rug I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved... PS. This video, and others, can now be found on my YouTube Playlist - IABYA

I am not going to lie, I am so sick of making these!!! I will carry on through New Year's, because a few of you have asked, but then I am done! Working on a new monthly idea. Sorry, not sorry! October 2019