This Little Light of Mine

Soapy Fun

In the midst of all these changes in my life, I taught soapmaking at the Folk School  in March!  Just getting around to posting pictures from the weekend..... 

I'm always so refreshed after returning from a weekend full of creative energy.  That place just fills my soul! 

And no, I'm not selling soap anymore.  I get that question a lot when I do a post on my blog about soap.  I just teach and make for friends and family.  The selling part took all the fun out of it.  I had to look at it as a business instead of a craft.  Making 200 bars of Rosemary Mint when you are a one man shop just wasn't making me feel fulfilled.  It started chipping away at something I was so passionate about.  So I stopped.  And it felt darn good.

In the last year or so, I've really started taking inventory of what fulfills our family, nurtures us, sustains us, and makes us feel connected.  And if an activity didn't do those things, we stopped (or tried to...baby steps).  I've really been thinking about this a lot in terms of technology and how it affects our family...but I'm getting off on a tangent....more about that later.

For now, yummy soap!

 
  
 

Saving....

I'm really trying to instill in the kids the value of a dollar.  We have gotten a lot of "wants" and "gimmees" around here.  So, we put together a little chart of chores and at the end of the week they get an allowance.  I made these little allowance pouches.  It's so funny how when we go to the store, they are shocked at how much things actually cost.  Good stuff, I tell ya.  Mommy is not a money tree!  I wish I had a pattern to show you but since I am the worst pattern follower ever, I don't.  I just folded some felt and stitched it up.  I did line the inside with some fun fabric.  The clasp is just velcro.  I took some muslin and stamped out their names (Sawyer's has a faint dinosaur next to his name).  For Campbell's, I made a little felt flower for the decoration.

 

 

Catching Up

I'm slowly peeping out of mounds of lists and duties for my new job.  I bet you though I had disappeared, huh?  After being in a job close to 14 years, it can be quite an adjustment starting something new and different, and doing it at home nonetheless.  I knew that it would be a wild couple of weeks transitioning, getting used to working from home, finding balance, learning my new job, etc.  And wild it has been!  But good.  Really good.  I love what I am doing (working for K12).  I believe in it so...it truly saved our child when we could find little in the way of resources to help with her dyslexia.  I'm so very thankful that I am working in something I am so passionate about, as well as the fact that I'm home with my kiddos so much more (although that has been an adjustment as well).  When I was home before, I was all theirs.  Now, I sometimes have to hide in the art closet to make a phone call without little voices in the background!

On top of all of that, we have been insanely busy.  I taught soapmaking at the Folk School one weekend, then Campbell started Tales From  the Altamaha performances, and in the midst of all that Savannah Music Festival started.  Avett Brothers, Band of Horses-just to name a few....Oh, and we had a bi-annual trip to Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park for Springfest.  Whew....Good stuff, but a lot.  Have you ever noticed that everything you want to do is in April and October?

So, today I'll just share a few pictures of a recent trip to Atlanta.  Peter Pan was playing there in a "theatre in the round."  Oh my...The kids are still talking about it weeks later.  The music was amazing.  The flying was amazing.  Here's a link to give you an idea.....

But while we were in the big ATL, we decided to visit the Coca-Cola museum.  Yes, I know you are shocked....But I secretly harbor a love for real Coke.  I don't drink it that much, but I love the burn that comes with it!  And since it is one of Georgia's most famous exports, we paid them a visit. 

 
The highlight of the visit was trying all the drinks from all over the world.  Neat, but quite frankly, my stomach hurt after the tasting room.

Yes, that would be blue.... 

 
Not so good....