Back from Hiatus

Wow, I just realized today that it has been a year and a half since posting on my blog. Given the encouragement of my friend, Eileen's, blog posts and talking with her today, I realized I have had a lot of exciting projects, in that time. Some have been photography-related and some have been craft-related. I have also added pet-sitting and dog-walking to my repertoire, for slightly more constant income (and because I love animals, haha). I have been consistently walking two sweeties for a month and a half, which will sadly end, when their mom's leg heals (but happily, as she will be in one piece again!)

The couple of dogs I get to see every day!

 Hopefully, I get to see them occasionally, still, as I have with another pair I used to walk more frequently.

The other pair - I love walking in their neighborhood, down to the water.

I no longer get to see one that I walked twice a week, for three months. Two months after I lost communication with her mom, I still had no idea what had happened. She is okay, as far as I know, but I found out abut the situation through a third party source. That's one problem with caring for animals that I won't see very frequently after my pet-sitting stint - I get too attached, haha.

The sweet girl I miss.

I even cat-sat for a family with five cats, for just a week, and often think of those furbabies! They were so gorgeous.

This girl was my favorite, even though she never let me touch her, that week - I have a weakness for shy felines.

I also decided to finally invest in a photography website, even though it pains me to spend money I am not sure I will make back. It feels good to be a little more official and I have had the opportunity to use the feature of sharing a private album with some clients, already!

On another front, craft sales have been slow, but I have also not been focusing much on new projects to sell. I did try to make dog boots, after walking a dog in her ice rink backyard this winter, but those didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I may return to the project, when the frustration dies down! I still sell my standards on Etsy and my greatest sellers have been wedding and baby hangers. I got to make one for my good friend, last year, as well as some for my cousin, and get to make one for my best and oldest friend, Pam, who will be married in September!

I am so happy for all my friends and family who have found the same kind of love I did, less than four years ago. I am especially thrilled for Pam, not just because I have known her my entire life and she deserves it, but because I have the opportunity to lead in celebrating her found love! I never thought I would have the title "Matron of Honor"...it sounds so old and way more distinguished than I see myself, haha.
We have already thrown her and her fiance a shower and it turned out really well, considering I live in Maine, two of the three other bridesmaids are in VA and PA and couldn't attend, and the shower was in MA. It helped that her parents were able to book the room! I am very pleased with the teamwork we girls have accomplished just via email and look forward to throwing her bachelorette party.

Entrance sign made by Pam's mom

favors, invite, and word game pins - guests were not allowed to say "Wedding" or someone could steal their pin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made a cork board display, with fake moss in the shape of her new initial, and reused our card basket from my own wedding!

Her mom got these great drink containers and added some lace!

I found these appropriate balloons for the occasion at Party City

One of my favorite pictures my husband took at the party

The happy couple!

The favors were made with 2" clay pots, a peat pellet from a gardening center, and plum seed paper hearts. I added some leftover burlap from the invitations and some wood design tape to the rim, writing their names and the date of their wedding on the tape. I planted some and I am still waiting to see what flower blooms!

It was a lot of fun making the invitations, decorations, and favors for the shower and reminded me of the fun I had making items for my wedding! I still don't think it is my calling to be a party planner, however, as the parties I have had the most fun with have been personalized so well, because I knew and cared a lot for the people involved. I am enjoying creating things for the bachelorette party though. :)

Jess

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, January and half of February have come and gone and I feel like, until today, I haven't really had a chance to do much of anything extra with crafting. After I finish this blog post, I will be finishing sewing my map of our honeymoon trip. I think I started it back in September or maybe even August, but it got pushed aside for other, more pressing projects. Meanwhile, the frame I want to put it in has been hanging in our kitchen, still with the random sailboat picture that came with it, haha.
I have been steadily going to the gym with a pool 4 days a week (twice for aquatic aerobics and twice for strength training, followed up with walking/swimming in the pool to help lessen the inflammation I just increased in my back) and doing yoga at my original gym 1-3 times a week. According to my rechecks with my rheumatologist and trainer, I have lost 4 lbs and 2 inches, though! I do feel better than I did 2 months ago, when I began increasing my medication, going to the gym, and going to the chiropractor. Who knows what's doing the most to help, but I don't foresee stopping any, except maybe so many chiropractor visits, in the near future. I still have to be careful, though, not to overdo it on the best days - I cleaned all the floors in our house last Wednesday, when a snowstorm kept me inside, and felt it that night and the whole next day. Even 6 months ago, I was consistently able to clean the floors once a week, so I know I'm nowhere near where I want to be. Patience is tough, haha.
Outside of making my health my full-time job, I have been ramping up plans for my photography business. The facebook page is really the only extensive website I've spent time on, so far, but I hope to get an official website up and running at some point, too! I said, last post, that I would include pictures from the maternity shoot, so here goes:
 

 

The funniest thing about this shoot is that my preggo friend actually did it with our mutual friend, not her husband. She knew her husband wouldn't be a fan of doing it, so she scheduled it when he was away for work and got our friend, who looks similar to her husband and is a great sport, to stand in for him. The result? A lot of laughs, but also an official maternity shoot, in the spring, with her husband, haha. I loved capturing her with her mama glow and can't wait to compare these pictures to her much bigger belly, later!

I also got to catch my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law for an engagement shoot, right after the second big snowstorm of the season. It was so cooooold, but an interesting shoot, with all the ice freezing things in time and white everywhere. It really made them the focus of the shoot.

This was actually the second engagement shoot I did, technically. The other one was for our friends, who asked me to come to a beach at sunrise in August, to get a picture they could use for their save the date.

That was also a lot of fun and the first time Jon and I experienced a sunrise together. (I am in no way a morning person, haha.) But it was also before any of my online classes or any sort of prep or training! And also before I got my Canon T3i, so it was done with my Powershot. I never used to think there was much difference between my point-and-shoot and a DSLR, but now I definitely notice the difference!

I did end up crafting one thing in the last month - a baby hanger gift for a couple in our church. It had been too long since I made one and, when their baby was born, I really wanted to make it for them!

That's about all I had to share, for now. Until next time, keep on crafting!

End of The Year Already?

I can't believe how much has happened in the last year - quit my job of 5 years, moved to a new state and bought a house, got married, started a craft business and began the process of starting a photography business. Those are the big points, anyway, haha. All of them, I never would've foreseen, 2 or 3 years ago. I am grateful for all the life events and people along the way who have made them all possible - even my injury, last year, a little bit. It has forced me to take better care of myself and slow down, even when it drives me crazy to do so. It also forces me to rely on other people more and God, too, which has changed my attitude a little bit. I've never been one to ask for help until I absolutely could not do something on my own and a little humility never hurt anyone.
This last month, I've been hard at work, attempting to get myself in a better place, physically. Waiting around for worker's comp to re-open my claim, much less pay for any treatment, is only making things worse. So, I contacted a lawyer with high reviews to hopefully end that drama in my life and joined a great gym in the area, to attempt to at least stop myself from gaining more weight. I can't really do much that doesn't hurt my back more, but the aquatic exercise is great and the strength training is okay enough to do. I also have been going, to try something new, for back adjustments at a chiropractor who has been treating various members of my husband's family for years. Aquatic aerobics have been the only thing that provides relief thus far, but I do notice a slight change in the nerve pain since starting adjustments. I don't know if the arthritis pain will ever go away, but at least I know I can push through that, having arthritis in my feet, ankles, and chest for over 15 years now. Never thought I'd be partially grateful for having juvenile arthritis, as it was a pretty rough time in my life, as a teen!
I have also been busy with crafty things this month, as well as working on photography skills.
First, I finally started working on cork pendants:

Cork Seashell-Printed Silver Necklace and Earrings
https://www.etsy.com/listing/173639207/cork-seashell-print-silver-necklace-and

I kept this one for myself, since I personalized it.

Once I finish the necklace, I will be putting these up on Etsy, too!

Then, I made this sign for a maternity shoot for my friends:

I will be posting pictures from the shoot as soon as my friends are ready to tell the world about their happy news. :)
I also worked on a Christmas sign, based on a block set I remember having, growing up, and a pin on Pinterest.

I also made these fun sock snowmen:

I hope to also imitate this ornament once the pitch dries on the trunk slices we cut from our Christmas tree. However, they are taking forever to do so, so we will probably not have that ornament till next year, haha.

I have always had issues with winter, in general, with all the lack of color and bitter cold that makes it hurt to go outside. I decided that, to get through this winter, I will start looking for the little things that make me wonder and bring me joy and try to make those things last, through photos. After our first real snow, I went outside with my t3i and captured anything that stood out to me.

a random leaf with great red hues on the white snow

Some bittersweet berries that are still hanging around - no wonder why these vines spread so easily!

a cocoon leftover from the spring and summer

one of our fences

Our Christmas was nice and relaxing and our cats thoroughly enjoyed the toys I got them, last minute, at Target!

 

Lucy, looking "fierce", as usual

Both cats really like this fake measuring tape toy, but I think it's Jack's favorite, haha. (Although, this is Lucy enjoying it. ;) Jack still freaks out and acts fearful with Jon in the room, even though Jon has never done anything "scary" around him, so when we brought the toys up to the cats, it wasn't any different.)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy late Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, as well! Until next year - I can't believe it's almost 2014 - where does the time go?!