: my week in pictures : recap :

i just wanted to give a huge high-five to all the great humans that have been commenting, emailing, purchasing and being really nice to me. i really, really appreciate it!

this is what this past week looked like :

 i FINALLY got a new computer! one that wont ruin my files and freeze every 30 minutes!

 we took a mini-vacay up north and went to gooseberry falls, and a few lovely lighthouses.

 so, we stayed at the cove point lodge. we got a groupon a few months ago. get this : we paid $110. we got : a suite with a deck, a jacuzzi, a fireplace, a $50 meal credit, a free bottle of champagne, amazing views, great service and a free breakfast. seriously, best deal ever! i highly recommend them if you are ever looking for a sweet trip to duluth, mn.

 next weeks : i totally want to make that.

 this weeks : i totally want to make that.

 and, some of you know. some of you dont. in the next couple years, blake and i are going to start the process of international adoption. ever since our second date, it has been what we want and what we believe in. we love haiti, and that is where we want to adopt from. anyways, we found this super cute toddler sweater at goodwill a while back and i have it hanging on my wall in the craft room. looks so cute.

 today : volunteering, neighborhood spring celebration, tons of sewing, a few errands and a trip to the post office!

you?

: motivation challenge : 4 : 5 : 6 :

whoops.
blogging break.
busy weekend.

motivation challenge :
day 4 :
i have confidence in relationships
so, its late and my brain is kinda tired, but i will say this : blake and i started watching the bachelor on abc.com. never seen the show, not familiar. oh my goodness. blows my mind at the lack of confidence these girls have. they all think something is wrong with them. they all 'just want a husband and babies.' they act silly and coy and just want a hot guy to come and save them. barf. breaks my heart.
your job : please please please teach/show/explain to all the small female humans in your life that they are beautiful. and special. and that being independent and confident are so much more important than waiting for a boy to save them. ugh. girls are in a hard spot in this society. its our job to give them confidence and positive skills to learn and grow into wonderful humans.
with all of that : i love blake. i do. i love that he is around. i do. he loves me. and hes soooo good to me. we fit so well together. but i also know that i dont need to be a wife and have a man to be a complete human. we dont need to have a wedding. we are this way, and i love how good we are when hes around.
day 5 : 
i am good at saving money.
today we had a target run. our bill was $86. and then i busted out the coupons. we saved $28. heck yes. i love that i clip coupons and find ways to stretch our dollars.

day 6 : 
i love how environmentally conscious i have become.
another one i could write a lot about. but you dont want to read it all. i have cared about the planet for a long time. but i am learning that i try to support local. and i really read everything i can get my hands on. this is our space. its our job to save this place. to breathe the air. and to know where things come from.


tomorrow : 
*i have 10+ felt food pieces cut out for blakes class.
i am sewing them all tomorrow. pictures will follow.

*i also neeeeeed to finish my last weeks : i totalllly want to make that :  bag.

*annnnnnnd i want to start making some pieces for my new :babypantz: line! this is very exciting. i have quite a few sketches and i bought 10 yards of fabric yesterday. hopefully pictures follow soon.

also, find me here. 'like' me. annnnnnnd tomorrow is THE LAST day to buy something from the shop to donate 40% to world concern for haiti relief. hurry hurry.

[no pictures][thanks for reading]

: so far ..... :

no picture.
tiny post.
[tired brain]

today was a good day.
i sold two cowls.
and a scarf.
[mckellllllllll!]

also, i now have some of my favorite photo note cards up for sale at the crow river coffee company in watertown, minnesota. [website]
this is very exciting.

i have some really big plans for great places supporting my work.
[it makes my heart happy to see local businesses supporting artists that are following their hearts]

also, donation update : so far, in the month of feburary, we are donating over $60 to world concern!
this is great. its still the beginning of the month.
you can help.
go here.
find something for somebody that is really cool.
i will do the rest.
[donate 40% of your purchase AND then i will match your donation to world concern]
[not bad]

if there isnt anything you need, then please pass along the info. tell your friends. share the story.

: BIG NEWS! :

friday = a lot of posts today.
[i have a lot to say]

so, haiti has a huge place in my heart.
[i know there are a bunch of new readers this month : hi everybody!]
this summer, blake and i spent a month in haiti, helping to haul rubble and deconstruct a boys home that fell in the quake.
we had an incredible trip. we both learned so much. hard work. not a lot of food. no running water. and gosh, people were so amazing to us.
i will never forget this time we were walking in an area that was absolutely r.o.c.k.e.d with rubble and disaster and all these people came out to greet us and try and touch our white skin as we were walking by. this little boy [maybe 5 or 6?] looked right at me and said 'thank you, thank you'. and i lost it. oh, i cried. here is this tiny human that is so thankful for our presence. we live with so much. too much. full of indulgence and all we want is moremoremoremore. and he had a few chickens. and was living in devastation. and he just wanted to say thank you.

so, we talk about haiti all the time. we keep in touch with a lot of the guys we worked with. we read the news and follow their politics. we are always planning our next trip and what we can do to help.

you can help. [please do]

heres how.

for the month of feburary, i am working with world concern. they do amazing things in haiti [and the rest of the world] through world concern, you can purchase mirco loans, buy goats for children so they can learn husbandry, sell the milk and help support their families. you can also buy kits to prevent and control cholera. with your purchase, they have trained educators that work with haitians to dispel rumors and educate. check out their site for waaaaay more opprotunities.

all of that being said, any purchase you make on in my shop from now - feb 28, i am donating 40% OF ALL PURCHASES directly to them. on top of that, blake and i will be MATCHING the donation from our own pockets. haiti is so special to us, and we really believe that we can all make a change for this country.

great idea, but dont need anything from the shop?
thats okay. leave me a comment and i will let you know how to help us. you can also donate directly to world concern. but remember, through us, we will match what you give.

i have new items being added this weekend!
[coasters, baby leg warmers, cozies, oh my!]
remember, i also do custom orders.

: remembering haiti :

so, a year ago today, haiti was rocked with a shattering earthquake.
blake and i went on our first date the day after the quake.
most of our night was filled with talk of haiti; about how i wanted to adopt a baby from haiti, how we both wanted to go ad volunteer this summer, and the politics of the country.

months went by.
we decided that we should be together forever.
raise a bunch of money for haiti.
and make this country a huge part of our lives.

we spent 3 1/2 weeks in haiti this summer.
it definitely changed our lives.
and we still talk about haiti everyday.

here are a few of my favorite pictures from our time there.
[also, please keep haiti in your thoughts. send some good vibes. and if your vibes are worth any money, contact me and i can give you names of a few non-profits that i think are doing incredible work]

over 1.3 million humans are living in tents like these. right now. this second. 365 days after disaster. [too friggin long, if you ask me!]

 we were in this tent city when a torrential downpour rocked this tent. these people live on a hill. and all of this water rushes through the tents. the tents that dont have floors. [think about it]

 this was our job. hauling hundreds of buckets, daily. all full of 25+ pounds of rubble.

 hipstamatic photos :

 our guys. we miss you. all of you. we are always thinking of you.

haiti, heres to a healthy and progressive new year.
[and, if i have my way, we will be seeing you in the next few months...]