New music profile!

I have finally created a public profile for my demos I made in garage band on my iPad! They are very bare bones, no drum loops, just me and my guitar. The quality isn't great, but I love having my songs sketched out. Check out my SoundCloud profile!

Kitchen art!

Little by little I've been building up the inventory on my etsy store! My latest is this set of three paintings that I made as art for our kitchen and dining room. I'm selling them as custom, made to order set of three paintings here. In my own home, however, I have decorated with them separately.

I have a tiny, narrow kitchen, so this picture collage fills the wall between our cabinets and fridge perfectly!

And the skillet painting is in another picture collage over our dining room table, which is right outside our mini kitchen. As you can see, I use picture frames to make lists! I just put colored paper in a frame and write on the glass with a dry-erase marker! It's a great way to eliminate messy cork boards, while also creating art.

I'm having so much fun making art for my kitchen AND etsy store! 

So there you have it, my artwork in my tiny kitchen. 

Dance Party

Tonight I was on the phone while I was hanging out with November. She was being so sweet, quiet and patient for such a long time, but let me know when she was needing my attention by gracefully throwing her toy boxes on the floor. I ended my conversation and turned all my attention to her. She was in an adorably playful mood, so we decided to have a dance party. 

We put on an iTunes Radio station, I started dancing like a creepy weirdo, and November started spinning in circles shouting, "Dance! Party!" She spun round and round until she got so dizzy that she couldn't walk, after which I picked her up and danced with her all over the living room. We were both laughing like crazy while she mimicked my 'raise the roof' and techno beat 'oonts, oonts' noise (you know the one I mean.) Her face was so filled with joy as we played together, danced together, and laughed together. 

It's moments like that where I am so grateful for my blessed life.

I never thought I would be able to handle being a single mom, not emotionally, physically, or financially. I never thought I could do this on my own. I never thought I could give November a satisfactory life parenting alone. But our lives are more than satisfactory, they are abundant.

Our lives are overflowing with love.

Our lives are overflowing with special moments, living room dance parties, hide-and-seek, and loving cuddles. We have our little routines, our special way of enjoying things. Being a single mom may be hard, but it has given me this amazing opportunity to focus so much of my attention on her, and enjoy these beautiful, personal moments.

It's just a reminder that God's plan for my life is great. Endings turn into new opportunities, new blessings, new lessons. I trust the road ahead, it is sure to be great. And I am so amazed and grateful.

Halloween 2013

Ok, so I'm slowly catching up! This Halloween was I big one: it was the first time I got to take November trick or treating and...I turned 30! I put an exclamation point on the end of the last sentence, but honestly, I was not excited about my birthday this year. 

I was just not in the mood to celebrate this year. I wasn't too pleased that I was turning 30, for one, and for another, I just didn't have the energy to make a big deal out of it. Instead, I kept it simple. First off, I got my hair done...

My hair is now auburn! First big color change in years! My awesome friend Mackenzie did a great job, I love it. Then I went out to a cabaret version of Tim Burton's 'nightmare before Christmas' (a couple days before my birthday) with my friend Robin and her fiancé Brett...

then the next day I had a small party at a bar next to my work where my mom was hosting karaoke...

Then on actual Halloween (which is my actual birthday) I took November to Robin's house to go trick or treating with Mila!

She was really nervous and confused at first...can you tell?! But she eventually got into it, and even started walking up to the houses with Mila. I think it helped when she finally had her very first piece of candy (reluctantly given by me) and realized just what the whole point of trick or treating was!

She's in a phase where she doesn't like having her picture taken, and when she does, she won't sit still. So lots of our recent pictures look like this; the vacant stare of a child distracted by a movie.
Isn't my lil Seahawks cheerleader just adorable! Despite my reluctance to turn 30, this was a great Halloween. I'm so grateful for all the friends and family I got to share it with!

November's 2nd birthday party

I know it's a month overdue, but here is November's 2nd birthday post! We had a nice little, casual party at my mom's house. A few friends came, my family, and spencer and his family joined to celebrate this awesome child entering her terrible, I mean, adorable twos!

She got this awesome new tent, some adorable clothes, fun toys, and her first bike!

November had a great time opening her presents and eating mini cupcakes. And at the end of the night, November and her BFF Mila put on a concert for us!

Happy birthday little monster! You are the "luboo my life" and my "bess fwen"!