2013: The Spring of Challenges

*Tap tap*, is this thing on? Hello? Anyone still here?

I suck at projects. I love starting them, but as soon as something goes wrong or I get bored or discouraged, I'm out. I love making crafts (and have led you to believe that I am somewhat of a crafting wizard) but I RARELY finish a project if it lasts longer than several hours. I just have no patience to keep up with something, especially when I start thinking about all the other things I could be doing.

I've been neglecting my blogging hobby lately for no reason other than I got bored and discouraged and just didn't feel like doing it! Which, in the grand scheme of things, is not the end of the world--it's not like I'm making money off this and I really don't have any stakes for coming up with a solid posting schedule other than friends and family members noticing when I haven't blogged in awhile. Too which I usually reply something along the lines of "yeah, I just haven't been feeling it lately", and that's that. No one cries, no one yells, and we move on to the next topic. Or maybe eat some chocolate.

I don't know what it has been about April, but this past month I have started some projects that I have been feeling pretty optimistic about. After a long winter of feeling way too lazy, I have finally started working out again, particularly running the Couch to 5k Challenge. Anyone ever try it? I'm only on Week Two, but have already been feeling more energetic, have been sleeping better, and am starting to feel like running has gotten easier. 

In addition to that, this past weekend after a very PMS-y day where I needed a project to distract myself, I finally sat down, dusted off my sewing machine, and taught myself a few things with the needle and thread. I'm feeling like a whole new world has been opened up to me and can't wait to share my Sunday project (and hopefully many more) in the weeks to come.

My physical and creative life needed a jumpstart, and getting over the initial hump to get it going was a challenge on it's own. However, I now feel ready to keep the challenges coming, which is why I have decided to participate in Jenni's Blog Every Day in May Challenge. I have gone far too long without just sitting down and writing about whatever is on my mind, and I think her prompts will be a fun and challenging way to share some of my thoughts. It might be different from the things I've written before on here, but I'm hoping it will be a welcome change and that you will enjoy it.

Maybe I'm getting in over my head with all these little projects, but I've found that I need to do this. I need to challenge myself to DO things, or else I spend my nights and weekends sitting around thinking of all the things I would like to be doing. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Cheers to May and new projects! If you are interested in participating in the blogging challenge, head over to Jenni's blog! 

Sister Antique Adventure

You know you have an addiction when you start dreaming about antique stores.

While the DC area is booming with thrift shops galore, I often miss the back-road PA antique malls that I grew up being dragged along to with my parents and eventually learned to love. I'll never forget the day I became turned on to the world of antiques --it was on my 14th or 15th birthday after brunch at the Country Cupboard. My parents decided that we were going to make a stop at the flea market across the road. Probably rolling my eyes like the teenage brat I was (Antiques? On my birthday? Why can't we just go to the mall?), I sulked around until I laid my eyes on a wall of the most fabulous jewelry I had ever seen. Bright bangles, oversized pearls, sparkly earrings--and everything was less than a dollar. Um, what? I didn't know that these boring dusty shops had things I actually cared about. 

And it was all downhill from there...or maybe not. Depending on how you look at it. It means that I will always have a home furnished with quirky and unique items from my adventures. It also means that when I go for too long without setting foot in an antique shop, I start dreaming about it. So this weekend when Ian and I headed up to Pennsylvania for Easter, I knew that an antiqueing trip with my sister would be in order.

The Plaza Centre in Bellefonte, PA has always been a favorite stop for us. Not only is the place HUGE, but is in a building which used to be a theatre. Imagine an old school theatre that you've taken the chairs and screens out of and replaced with antiques as far as the eye can see. Then, you go down stairs and up stairs and back through some hallways and before you know it you have no idea where you are. Getting lost in an antique shop is probably a nightmare for most, but is a perfect afternoon for me.

When we walked in the door and this was the first thing we saw, I knew it was going to be a good trip. Obviously I bought it. 

Emily was on the hunt for some pretty things for her future college apartment, and there was no shortage of pretty glasses and kitchen wares perfect for two funky girls. She walked away with a snazzy pitcher with matching juice glasses, all for under five bucks.

In addition to the sunburst clock, I found a cool statement piece for our house that will probably make an appearance on the blog soon...once I take some Windex to it. Oh, and figure out what to do with it...