In case you need an umbrella...

1. Umbrellas, 2. #8/365- The red umbrella, 3. umbrellacopy, 4. Untitled

Early yesterday was rainy and the rest of the day was cloudy. We should be having a sunny Sunday but in case you need an umbrella, don't these pictures make umbrellas seem so charming?

We are still having chilly weather in Florida, compared to usual! I really feel this year has been much colder than usual. I have heard that is true from some, and then other people seem to act like that is not the case. But I think so! I enjoy it mostly. I just don't like having cold feet and hands at night and needing to run the heat so much! Looks like the chilly weather is going to continue into the rest of the week.

Flashback Friday: Me and My Mommy

I didn't have a black and white picture to use(which was this week's optional theme), but I have this cute old picture.
This would have been up north in New York City or somewhere else up there. (Mom will have to tell me! Not sure with the nice grassy scene, I doubt it's Queens?). I was born in Queens, NY. We moved to Florida when I was almost four.

My mom is a wonderful mom! She is one of my best friends and I am very blessed to have her. She grew up in a very stressful way, and she never thought she would grow up to have a happy normal life. My grandmother had mental problems and delusions about a lot of things. She treated my mom very nice and loved her, but treated everyone else badly due to paranoia that someone was always out to get her and such. That very badly affected my mother, as a child. The neighbors where she(and her older brother) grew up in Queens hated my grandmother because of this, and said rude comments to my mom about it (what kind of people say that stuff to a little kid??). After a series of God guided events in my mother's life, her father was back in her life at age 12 which helped change everything for the better, she found faith in God at age 18, and then she met my father while in college through a friend (he did not attend that college). They were later married and had me and my sister. We grew up in a safe and happy environment and were truly blessed by two good parents.

This picture captures some of the happiness and peace of growing up with my parents. And now I also have that feeling of motherhood with arms outreached towards Kavi to come to mama!

It's fun to participate in flashback Fridays, if you would like to join in leave your link at Tia's blog!

Vintage Thursday: Around the house!

These items would add a fun touch of vintage to any home. I want them all. :) You can visit each listing by clicking the pictures. I always have fun picking out vintage items for posting on Thursdays! I have a lot of thrifted, old items around my house so I love this style.

Some Favorites...

Adorable:

Mama and baby mini ceramics by iktomi

A MUST have:
I got this at Christmas time from either my mom or sis? It smells SOOO good. Rock Candy scented solid perfume from YouStinkSoap!

In the description it says this:
Exquisite blend of sweet strawberries, juicy pomegranates, creamy vanilla and coconut milk with tiny hints of rose petals, soft jasmine and decadent sugar.
Oh it is gooood. I am not big on perfumes, but this one really smells like sugary candy sweetness. I highly recommend! They even have it listed in spray form, which I am eyeing.

Interesting:

reusable cloth coffee filters from evelynfields

Update on losing weight

I have stuck with it decently over the past couple weeks. I am down a few pounds from when I started about 3 weeks ago! I could try harder though. I ate very badly last Friday!! Then had some extra sweets over the weekend. I am not anti-sweets but I just need to make better decision about how much of a sweet thing I eat.

Isn't this such a simple sounding concept?:
Eat healthier + move more= lose weight.
(unless there is a medical or other reason you cannot lose weight that way, but I mean in general) Yet it's so hard to accomplish, right? hehe I am on the right road now and need to stay on it.

I think looking at the really cute outfits on flickr, like I posted yesterday, help me with the inspiration to lose weight.

And I couldn't resist adding another weight loss "cartoon":

Fashion Inspiration: Flickr + Etsy

Flickr:

1. Monday, Monday, 2. 1_30_10, 3. IMG_2360, 4. Outfit 14th January, 2010

Handmade or Vintage from Etsy:

Two outfit possibilities, inspired by the flickr outfits!

1.

2.

(click pictures for link)

Grey doesn't have to be gloomy!

The picture above I think I found on an online decor website last year, and had made a blog post about decor inspiration. I still love this picture. I saw it recently on my computer while looking through files and remembered how much I loved it. I wouldn't think I would like grey paint usually, but I love this white and red combo with it!!

I think I want to paint our living room sometime. Right now it's a pale guacamole green color. I like it but it's been almost 4 years with this color and I'd like a change. It'd be hard for me to limit myself to only red and white decor, so I found more inspiration in the pictures below. The red does look awesome in the pictures, but I currently don't have red pieces like these! I do have more cool colors like teal and turquoise in my living room right now, along with the green walls.

1. Olivier's big boy room, 2. turquoise mid-century chairs, 3. bedroom - from apt therapy, 4. light gray walls & red dresser, 5. gray walls, 6. grey walled bedroom

Flashback Friday: Pony Ride

Tia mentioned last week about doing a pet themed Flashback Friday today. I have never really been a pet person, so I thought "darn! I don't have any pictures like that". But then I remembered I took a picture of this picture recently (blurry sorry) to use one Friday! It's not my pet, but it's an animal at least.

Sorry about the horrible quality! I am pretty sure this was a pony. I was maybe 9 or 10 yrs old? On this day, we were invited to go over to the house of people we knew from church. They invited a bunch of people over, and us kids got to take a ride on the pony. I didn't grow up riding horses so I am pretty sure I was a little nervous even though it was not a big horse. Someone was in front of the pony, walking slowly and guiding it with reigns.

We attempted pets at different times in my childhood. Me and my sister were always scared of hyper dogs. My dad tried a couple times to bring a dog home but we didn't like it and they'd have to give the dogs to a new home. I remember me and my sis running and jumping onto the couch crying. It was for no reason! But to us it was scary haha. I am allergic to cats(so is my mom) so I never was around them too much unless we were at someone else's house. Then I'd get wheezy, sneezy, and itchy eyes.

We had a cute floppy eared bunny at one time, but it wouldn't really let us pet him! He lived in our back porch and hopped around a lot. Eventually he ate a hole in the screen and would leave during the day and return at night! Then one day, Thumper(how original right? hehehe) didn't return. I wasn't that young by the time that happened. We just always wondered what happened to the poor thing.

We did have hamsters at one time too. We had fish once in awhile too. My dad had birds sometimes. A lovebird once, who flew away when the door opened once, accidentally. :( A cockatiel. Some finches. I think my dad is the only one out of me, my mom, and sis who liked having a pet. I like animals, but I guess I just don't feel like being in charge of one. We have thought of getting a dog one day for Kavi. I don't want to until he is a few years older, IF we do. :P

Join in with us for Flashback Fridays! It's fun!

India Trip Planning

We finally bought our flight tickets for visiting India. We are leaving March 24th and arriving back on April 13th. That is almost 3 weeks, a pretty long time! Our purpose for going is visiting my husband's family. We were there about a year ago so they could meet Kavi. That trip was only about 12 days total including travel, so this time we get to go longer since my husband had enough vacation time saved up at work. We will stay again at my in-laws "flat" an hour or so outside of the city of Mumbai.

Our estimated traveling time on the way there is about 22 hours, and on the way home about 24 hours. We fly from our airport in Tampa to NJ. Then straight from NJ to Mumbai, India! That's a long, 14 hr+ direct flight. I don't really like flying, but I always make it. hehe. I don't like turbulence!!

After our trip last year I wrote an entry on my other blog(that I never update anymore!). So if you would like to read about it, click here. :) I will share pictures from last year's trip before we go too.

Edited to add one picture.
Me on the last trip, wearing
Indian style clothing.

Flickr + Polyvore Fashion Inspiration

Inspiration for every day style from Flickr:
1. Just Call Me Indy, 2. patterns for days, 3. Two for Tuesday: Valentine, 4. december 30, 2009, 5. Ruffles Everywhere, 6. Untitled

Sets made by other people from Polyvore, inspiration for getting a little dressed up:

TV dinner,anyone?! by dee55 on Polyvore.com

my blue by dhea luna on Polyvore.com

Camille by *Sweet Little Lamb* featuring Alexander McQueen skirts

Happy Valentine's Day

(pic source unknown)

Valentine gift exchange

Thanks to Devon, I had found out about this gift exchange on the last day to enter! I would have shared the info here but it was too late. (I know Devon for many years, and have met in person a few times and we have various mutual friends) :)

I was paired with fellow Floridian Cyndy. :) If you want to see what I sent her, read here. She told me she likes purple, so I made her a necklace with purple flowers on it along with a heart charm.

I received my gift and it's very cute! I told her about the various themes I like, and of course that included birds, so she sent me this:

A pretty birdie, along with a note and sweet Valentine stickers. :) Thank you Cyndy!! I had fun participating!

Flashback Friday: Love 2003

This picture is from October 2003, taken in India. I'm not sure if most reading remember or knew how me and my husband met. It was online. And actually we weren't expecting that to happen, I wasn't seeking someone online for a relationship and neither was he. It was just for chit chat, nothing more. But it turned into something else! If you want more of the story you can read this post.

Me and my dad went to India to I could meet up with Sujeet. So this picture is even before we were engaged, but we were engaged within days. That trip was definitely a trip of a lifetime. I went to New Delhi, India and also we went to Agra, India to see the Taj Mahal.

I remember feeling the happiest I had ever felt, in love, and on an adventure. Sometimes that trip seems like a dream, so long ago. But I know it was real since the same guy I went to go see is now living here in the US with me and we have been married over five years. :) We have been "in love" for about eight years. The separation we had because of being on opposite sides of the world was very hard for me back then. I used to wonder if we'd ever be together for good because it seemed so complicated - you can't just have someone move the US to marry you easily. It's a long immigration process. But now it's a distant memory.

If anyone wonders how he settled in to living here, I am happy to say very well. He works in computer software development and has a job only 9 miles from here. He used to have to drive over an hour to Tampa but a job came up nearby for the state and he's been there since October 2008. :)

By the way, tea is much more popular in India than coffee. So I thought this tea vintage image was a cute addition!!

Click below to read more Flashback Fridays and Tia's blog!

Right in my own backyard.

Before my son was old enough to be able to run around outside, we took our backyard for granted. We rarely went back there. We have a front screened in porch that we would sit in if we wanted to be outside. We also have a back porch that we never sat in, and still don't. We use it to walk through to get outside to the backyard and it needs some help! It's the forsaken porch. (In case anyone reading doesn't know or remember, we are in Florida.)

On Monday I took some pictures of trees, trying to appreciate what's right there in my backyard.

Our once empty backyard is now filling up with toys and fun things for Kavi.

For Christmas me and my husband bought our son a slide/playhouse thing. For his birthday he got that cool kiddie roller coaster from my family. He also got a kiddie t-ball and golf set, heehee.
For his birthday we bought him a swing. He went on it yesterday for the first time and loved it! It's nice and safe too. (he is wearing a mickey mouse hoodie)

New Etsy Sellers

Above are Etsy shops awaiting their first sale, as of Monday night. I found them through Pounce, the very addictive feature on Etsy. Just one more click, then I'll stop... ha! I click away for too long.

New completed projects and shop items

I made something for me! A couple of weeks ago I bought some of the supplies to make it. I was inspired by wreaths I have seen on Etsy and Flickr, but what pushed me to finally make one was a post by Angela here. And it's going up on my wall soon!

My sewing themed/bird wreath

I rarely make things just for me anymore, so I found it rewarding. But I thought wrapping the yarn around the wreath was a huge pain in the butt, and since I didn't use any directions I just winged it. I am sure there must be a tip for how to wrap the yarn easier. I happened to have all the accent pieces except the birdies in the nest, which I bought at Michael's.

Here are new items I either added or relisted recently in my jewelry shop:

New items soon to be added to my pillow shop:

Another post will be coming later with Etsy shops that need their first sale! And I think tomorrow I want to share some pictures from my backyard.

Time to lose it

I talked not long ago about starting to try to lose weight again. So here's an update. I am doing ok. I have been eating better and started exercising! I could be doing better. I still add in extra bites of things that I don't need! But, I feel motivated, and am happy about it. My goal is to exercise at least 5 times a week. Right now it's mostly on the stationary bike that I have. It's an old one. I bought it through Craigslist a few years ago - for $15 or was it $10? It's kinda crappy. But it worked for me last time I was trying to lose weight! I can't even tighten the tension on the bike, the tension thing is broken. hah.

It had a cool digital thing to track mph, distance, time on bike, and estimated calories burned. It had that until Kavi yanked the digital box open. I think a wire got disconnected somewhere. It turns on, but doesn't track any info. And as for calories burned, there was no way to enter your weight so I always wondered where it came up with it's figures. Anyway, I still use it even though it also hurts my butt to sit on it after 15-20 minutes. Hard seat!

I am also going to add in some muscle toning exercise and will reduce my calories a little more. I don't go for fad diets or extremes when losing weight. I like slow and steady, nothing very drastic. I will basically use the methods I used before, just a little more wholeheartedly this time.

I will update from time to time about this. It's a way to be accountable, knowing that other people read that I said I was trying again- so I better do it!!

Flickr Fashion Inspiration

1. Outfit 1st February, 2010, 2. mustard!, 3. to town we go.,
4. Vintage Inspired, 5. super_polka, 6. Elise's first remix,
7. Red (three), 8. July15, 9. Untitled

Flashback Friday: High School Grad 1998

(click above to read Tia's blog and participate!)

This is a group shot of me and most of my girl classmates the day we graduated High School. I snapped a picture of a picture, so it's low in quality. I don't remember how we had a limo, maybe we all chipped in? I don't recall, I just know I would not be paying for a limo on my own! I'm right near the middle in the white shirt and purple skirt.

We met up at our school then rode together to our graduation ceremony(at a local church) and then to the graduation group party afterward.

I graduated from a Christian school in 1998. It was a nice, safe environment. I liked it, because I got to be with so many friends. But don't let that make you think everyone who went there were saints! A friend of mine in this picture just reminded me about how when we were trying to exit our limo two of our guy classmates were mooning us. Icky! hehe

We were a graduating class of 12!! Yes, 12!! This was a new school back then, we were only the second graduating class ever.

I am still friendly with most of the girls in the picture. There is only one girl(far left) that I haven't really seen since High School. The rest I have either seen over the years or am friends with them on facebook. I have to say they were all very nice girls!! I really got lucky in my small class, being with nice people.

(ps I'd like to get back to the weight I was in the picture. I know that's not skinny but I'd be happy with it!)

Vintage Thursday: Raspberry

Makes You Happy?

I thought it would be fun to share something and ask those who read to comment with something to share too!

What is something you like doing, that makes you happy, for instance at the end of a day?

One of mine is a newer thing. Before Christmas when I was working on Christmas gifts for people, I would put something on Netflix on the computer to watch. In the back area where I sew and make things is where our main computer is, so it's easy for to me to put something on there to watch.

I have really been into watching British miniseries-es(plural of miniseries??), about the "old days". They move sort of slow, which means if I miss a few minutes of dialogue from the sewing machine noise, it's usually fine. It takes me a couple nights to finish a miniseries, each usually consisting of 4-6 episodes and around 50-55 minutes each.

I watched Lost in Austen, a cute miniseries available to watch online on Netflix, a couple months ago. Lost in Austen is about a modern day girl in London who is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and other Jane Austen books. She has a not-so-great boyfriend and a bad influence mother, so she wants a more simple, innocent life. She wishes her world could be like the one in the books, where men seemed to have more dignity and women were treated like ladies. And so she ends up IN the book Pride and Prejudice, through a "door" in her bathroom, witnessing the events in the book as they unfold. And she messes a bunch of stuff up in the storyline. That's all I will say. ;) So then my British, old period, miniseries obsession began.

Before Christmas and then just recently, I've watched these British miniseries-es:

North & South
Mansfield Park
Our Mutual Friend

I just love it when I am the only one still awake(I'm a night owl), and can turn those on and go into my own little world.

So do you have something you love to do, when it's just you?
If not, maybe you can find something!
Please comment, I would LOVE to read what people do!

A Two year old

So it's our son's second birthday today! I feel like I have been talking about his birthday a lot because we had his party a week ago and I shared about things recently that relate to this. But now it's official!! He is out of the 1's and into the 2's. I can't believe it!!

He got an awesome "roller coaster" toy from my family. Me and my husband picked it out as an idea and they were kind enough to buy it for Kavi. He went on it the first time on Friday evening. It's so cool, I want to go on it!

Here is a little video of Kavi on it. He learned to push the cart back up the ramp so we were just watching him and being entertained.

From Jan2010

I pray our son has a wonderful year as a two year old! We love him so much.