: a giveaway & interview with patience : adoption equals big hearts! :

hey everybody!! 

we are back [and safe, sore, showered & alive!]

i will recap our bike ride with a bunch of photos in the next few days, BUT before i do that, i have a fun giveaway & interview for you!

today, i have patience here to share about herself & her big dreams of expanding her family through adoption [you know blake & i plan on adopting, right?!]. so fun!

________________________________________________________________________

Who are you?

I'm a teacher, wife, artist, and hope to become a mom through the miracle of adoption soon.  I live in a cheery yellow cottage in the suburbs of Chicago along with my high school sweetheart husband and our spoiled yellow lab, Romeo.

I spend my days as a middle school special education teacher. I love my job- most of the time. It is very challenging but also very rewarding. I am blessed to work with amazing colleagues who I also call friends.  My goal each and every year is to instill a sense of wonder and a thirst for learning into my students who have struggled in traditional classrooms. 

My love of arts and crafts started at a very young age.  I can't remember a time when I wasn't creating something.  As my life has become more demanding, I've learned that having a creative outlet is such a vital part of my well-being. There's just something magical about being able to create something that feeds the soul. 

I've always loved creating things with paper. It started with making my own Christmas cards back when I was a young bride. I became known for my handmade cards among friends, and my cards were often requested for holidays, and life events. I started teaching at local stores and developing kits for the stores. Now I just create things for friends & family... and my customers at PB Creations!

PB Creations came about as a way for me to feed my soul through creating while also adding some extra funds to our adoption fund. My husband and I are anxiously hoping to adopt in the very near future. We've had a long road of infertility and miscarriage that unfortunately required us to use up a great deal of our life savings. We've been blessed through the support of friends and family as we started our adoption process.  The profits from PB Creations are used to cover our monthly advertising costs for our adoption profile and our attorney fees.

Whats your favorite way to relax?

I love spending time with my husband. We both have very demanding jobs and work opposite shifts, so our time together can be limited. We love lazy summer afternoons on our motorcycle wandering through country roads.  We also love watching TV show marathons on Discovery or History channel.

On the other hand- you just can't beat a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine!  :)

Where would you love to be in 1/3/5 years?

We're so hopeful that we will be parents soon- so hopefully you will find me loving life as a mom.  Hoping that I will also be able to teach part time while spending much more time creating and supporting our little family through PB Creations.

Where is your favorite place to create? Why?

I am so fortunate that my husband created a studio for me in our home. It truly is my little piece of heaven on earth. He built the desk into the front of the room where the natural light is just amazing in the afternoons. I have all of my ribbons and flowers sorted by color in glass jars- it just makes me happy looking at them!  I am very messy when I create, so it is so nice to have the space to spread out and leave my mess when life calls me back to reality. Our yellow lab, Romeo loves his spot under my desk. 

Tell us a few of your favorite sites/blogs to lurk on a daily basis?

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that the first place I usually check is Facebook. :)

I also spend lots of time on Pinterest.  I can honestly say that I have found some inspiration for some home projects that we've recently completed on pinterest. 

I also spend time stalking Ali Edwards, Cathy Z, and Janna Wilson.  I love their sense of design even if it is very different from my own. 

Dealing with infertility can be a very lonely road.  I am so fortunate to have found some amazing bloggers who have become virtual friends through the past several years.  One of the first stops I make each morning is also to check out Mel's blog. She is a true voice for the infertility community and has created so many opportunities for the community to support one another. 

What do you want to learn?

I've always wanted to learn to play guitar and speak Spanish.

Best advice you have been given for your artsy career/shop/creative endeavor?

Take time to be creative EVERY SINGLE day.  Even if it is something small or something as simple as being creative with the way you put dinner on the plate- do something!

Lets be honest ; n*sync or the Backstreet Boys?

Backstreet Boys all the way!  :)

Where else can we find you?

facebook //  pinterest // adoption website // adoption facebook 

______________________________________________________________________________

time for the giveaway!
patience is giving away a super-cute handmade 5x5 frame featuring mixed media collage cottage. just add your 3x3 photo to make it perfect! a custom insert can also be created to replace the one shown. this would make an adorable wedding or housewarming gift!  the frame will be made to order and can be made with any color palette.

the giveaway starts today & will end on the 7th of august. giveaway is only open to folks in the us!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

: sponsor love : hang with chelsea from sunny with a chance of sprinkles :

hey everybody!
today, i have chelsea here from sunny with a chance of sprinkles.

lets meet her, huh?
________________________________________________________________________________

Please tell us who you are?

 I'm originally from Minneapolis, MN and sincerely miss the cities. I'm now living about 45 minutes north of the cities, but still feel like a city girl at heart. Cows are living too close to comfort for me ;)

Whats your favorite way to relax?

 At a coffee shop, by myself, with a great book.

Where would you love to be in 1/3/5 years?

In 3-5 years I see myself working as a nurse in a hospital or clinic, Cory and I are planning our wedding and hoping to have another little one and my precious Alea is in preschool and soon to be in kindergarten. Wow, that's scary!

Describe your perfect day?

My perfect day would be laying in bed all day with breakfast in bed and endless lattes on my night stand with Netflix streaming on my laptop. Not a care in the world... bliss.

Where is your favorite place to create? why?

Well, maybe not create, but brainstorm. In the car. On my way too and from school I come up with the best ideas!

Tell us a few of your favorite sites/blogs to lurk on a daily basis?

 My current favorite shop is Mama's Nest Designs & I'm loving Casey's blog.

What do you want to learn?

To knit or crochet. It's actually one of my new years resolutions.

Lets be honest ; n*sync or the backstreet boys?

Backstreet Boys. I spent many, many days and nights laying on my bed or rocking out in my living room to Backstreet Boys! And I was always a fan of AJ... sometimes bad boys are just so hot!

 

______________________________________________________________________________

l o v e me some backstreet boys fans ;)

connect with chelsea here!

facebook // twitter // bloglovin' // pinterest

be sure to come back tomorrow.

i am pushing back insta friday til saturday & teaming up with 100 [!!] other bloggers to share something life-changing with you tomorrow!

[you wont want to miss it!!]

: come meet vanessa!! : shes the best :

happy thursday!
where did this week go?!?!

today i have a fun interview from vanessa!
she and i met in chicago this summer at the 20sb bloggers conference and *right away* we hit it off.
like, really. you know that feeling when you crash into someone and you are like 'we are soooo connected forever!?!?'
well, thats us. shes amazing & i am so excited to have her today.
[look for another fun post from her soon ;)]
_______________________________________________________________________________

Hi! I'm Vanessa from Reno, Nevada. I grew up in Southern California, where I also got my undergraduate degree (Fight On!) and have lived in northern Nevada since 2006.

I moved here to pursue my television journalism career. Two years ago I stepped away from that to discover public relations and social media marketing. I currently work for Noble Studios as a Content Strategist - hands-down the best job I've ever had.

I have a 2.5 year old daughter, baby #2 is due June 2012, I live with my wonderful partner who I refer to as Manfriend, and love to sew, run, read and eat.

Whats your favorite way to relax?

Run, read, sew or watch a great movie.

When I can travel (within the U.S. or internationally), I enjoy that the most.

Where would you love to be in 1/3/5 years?

One year from now I will have two healthy kids, living in Reno and planning my trip to Spain in 2014. (To celebrate my 30 birthday!)

In five years I hope my life is as happy as it is now, surrounded by health and love.

Describe your perfect day?

My perfect day is a balance of personal time and goofy time with my daughter. My favorite days are weekends when Manfriend is home from the fire station. I go for a morning run, he makes his killer egg scramble, and we hang out with Billie - go for a bike ride, head to the park, work on home projects together, and have friends over for dinner.

Where is your favorite place to create? why?

My basement. That's our dedicated sewing space. When I commit to going down there, time just flies.

Tell us a few of your favorite sites/blogs to lurk on a daily basis?

New Dress a Day

Design Sponge 

Sometimes Sweet 

The Official Google Blog- I geek out on Social Media/SEO blogs, too!

What do you want to learn?

To sew well. I love sewing because I learn something new each time I do it, and I suspect I'll never be an expert!

Be a better yogi - I'm a bit limited now due to my pregnancy, but it's been a long time goal to make yoga a bigger part of my life, and eventually (hopefully) teach.

I'd also love to become a stronger mountain biker and overcome my fear of the water and learn to surf (I've taken lessons once before!) and whitewater kayak.

Best advice you can give folks that want to start an artsy career/shop/side project?

This advice applies for any career endeavor - do what you love, and prioritize your life. Make time for the things that truly matter - your family, relationships and your health - and quit worrying about what others think!

Lets be honest ; n*sync or the backstreet boys?

Tough call!
_________________________________________________________________________________
yay!
thanks so much, vanessa!
i *highly* suggest you follow her on twitter & check out her blog!

have a great day, everybody.
come back tomorrow for my week 3 project365 wrap up ;)

: lts talk about zumba! : fun interview with zumba tiff!! :

hey everybody!

i have a fun treat for you today!

my friend, tiff is here to talk about zumba.

so, i met tiff last spring ; i took a zumba class through community ed and she was my instructor.

i think she is wonderful and her story is really great.

you know how i feel about health & wellness and if you are looking for a great workout ; i suggest zumba.

dont have a gym membership? well, search for workouts online. check community ed//nearby churches. our neighborhood clinic offers a 6-8 week zumba course ; and its super affordable. buy the dvd set [i have it!] zumba is one of my favorite workouts!

go tiff ;

__________________________________________________________________________________

1) who are you? where do you live? what do you do [real-life job]?

Hi there!  My name is Tiffany, and I live in Golden Valley, Minnesota with my husband of 10 years, Chris, and my Newfoundland dog, Zoe, who has her head on my lap right now.  Golden Valley is about 7 minutes west of Downtown Minneapolis, so I'm not too far from all the action!  I'm grew up in Tawas City, Michigan, a small town on the shore of Lake Huron, and am an alumna of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!)  My husband, Chris, and I moved to Minnesota about 11 years ago, because we're both engineers and the Twin Cities has a really diverse economy.  While I miss the lakes and my family in Michigan, I LOVE the Twin Cities!  In addition to have some wonderfully maintained outdoor spaces (we have AWESOME parks here!) the Twin Cities has a constant array of cultural events which we enjoy attending regularly.  

My interests are "all over the map."  I have a passion for music of all kinds; I enjoy attending live performances, and I play the trombone in a community band.  I like to travel to lesser-known places, cook from magazines and online recipes (rarely the same recipe more than once ever), scuba dive, and read novels.  I taught myself how to sew in the past couple of years, and I am totally ADDICTED!  I like scary movies, and have (don't laugh) an unreasonable love for the New Kids on the Block.  It's not a creepy, stalker kind of love, but a love that I cannot rationally explain. :-)  I also teach Zumba Fitness classes (where I met Diana!  yeah!) for Minneapolis Community Education, and this summer branched-out to teach independently.

2) tell us about zumba!  when did you become certified? how did you get involved with zumba in the first place?
Zumba Fitness is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program.  What does that mean?  It means that for an hour, we basically throw a party and move to music with Latin beats like salsa, cumbia, cha-cha, merengue, reggaeton, bachata, and samba.  We also include other international beats like Bhangra, American hip-hop, swing, Rumba/Flamenco, and bellydance. It's SUPER FUN, and it's a really good fitness option for people of all ages and fitness levels, because pretty much all moves can be modified or tailored to each person's individual needs.  

I have NO dance training whatsoever.  (Okay, my parents made me take tap when I was in like 2nd grade, but that's the extent of my formal dance training.)  I discovered Zumba at my local YMCA, where I have a gym membership.  I'm a big fan of challenging myself to do things outside of my "comfort zone," and my friends (also Y members) were too chicken to try this new class.  So one day I just went for it by myself.  I'll tell you - I was addicted from DAY ONE.  Yes, the moves were a little tricky to catch onto at first, and I'm sure I looked super silly attempting them, but I was having so much fun doing it that I didn't care.  I started attending that one class regularly, and then I progressed to traveling to other local Y locations on different nights to attend their Zumba Fitness classes.  After awhile, with some encouragement from a couple of instructors, I decided to get certified to teach.  I became certified in 2009, and have been teaching since then.  

For me, Zumba is a release.  It feels like a party.  It's the first group fitness class that I could come back to again and again, and never get to a point mid-class when I start looking up at the clock, wondering how much longer I've got to go.  This correlates with Diana's blog post from a couple of days ago - I think that exercise should be FUN.  It should be a reward for yourself, not a punishment.  For me, Zumba is really a joy.  I hope that this shows when I teach, because really I'm having so much fun doing it!

I adored Diana's blog post the other day about body image, and want to share something.
I am 34 years old.  When I was 28, I weighed 80 pounds more than I do today.  EIGHTY pounds.  (I don't tell many people this, so I guess I'm really "spilling it" on Diana's blog!  haha!)  No, I'm not about to tell you that I lost a ton of weight from Zumba... Zumba came later and is part of my lifestyle today.  I've battled weight "issues" my whole life.  When I was young, I kept myself active enough to keep it from getting "out of hand."  But by the age of 28, I was horribly out of shape. One day I took a hard look at myself and decided that I needed to make some changes.  I made a simple goal.  On my 30th birthday, I wanted to be able to look at myself in the mirror and see a healthier person than I was at the age of 20.  It was a lofty goal; I had a lot of work to do.  :-/  

I went from being an eat-what-I-want couch-potato to being a person who started to read labels and understand nutrition and eat right and exercise regularly.  I joined Curves.  Curves is a wonderful, non-threatening atmosphere in which to start a fitness regimen.  Slowly but surely, and with a lot of hard work, the weight came off, and for the most part I've managed to keep it off these past 6 years.  I am still nowhere near a skinny lady.  On the contrary, I still wear plus-size clothing.  But I eat well, and I exercise 3-4 times a week, and if this is my healthy body shape, then this is my healthy body shape!  (Seriously Diana - LOVED that blog post the other day.)

Anyway, what's my point?  Back to Zumba - I remember the very first song of the very first Zumba Fitness class that I taught, I almost burst into tears.  I was proud of myself.  I am the very LAST person in the whole world who I would expect to ever be teaching a fitness class.  But there I was.  And here I still am.  I'm loving it, and hope that my students are enjoying the journey, too!
 
Diana has probably heard this a hundred times, but I really mean it when I tell people in my classes that I don't care if they come to class and don't follow a single move that I do.  If they want to "rock out" with their own moves instead of following mine, then I absolutely encourage it.  As long as you show up, you leave your worries behind, move your body and get your heart rate up, and just have FUN for an hour, then that is my goal.  This is why I teach; I want to share that joy, and get people moving.  My goal in each class is to have every student leaving the room with a smile (and maybe some sweat!)
  
3) best part about teaching? favorite songs? style of dance?
Oh shoot, I got a little "deep" and blabbed on too long!  Okay, the best part about teaching is when I can visibly see people having fun in class.  I love it when they "hoot and holler!"  :-)  Ummm... favorite songs.... Well, I can tell you that student favorites are Shakira's "Waka Waka," and nearly anything by Pitbull.  I like the Zumba original African/Arabian song, "Mawa Sillah," and the salsa/reggaeton song, "Dejala Que Baile" by Charlie Cruz.  I loooove me a good salsa.  Yeah!

4) tell us why we should *all* try zumba at least 5 times ;)
Okay, you need to try Zumba Fitness because I'm telling you, it's really really a ton of fun.  Some people love it right from the very first class.  However, for some people it takes a couple of classes to get a little repetition and to really become comfortable with the basic steps.  So yeah, I definitely encourage you to try 5 times!  Like anything, it make take that long to learn what it's about and really get comfortable with it.  Just remember, nobody is watching you; every person in that class is concentrating on himself or herself.  So just cut yourself a break and dance like no one is watching!  It's fun, I promise... :-P
  

_________________________________________________________________________________

she is so cool! 

ya know, i have been back in minnesota a little over a year, after living across the country for a few years and i feel *so* lucky to have met really wonderful folks [like tiff!!]

and she is totally right ; take small steps everyday. you don't need a miserable diet. you dont need to kill your self-esteem in the mirror. 

work for what you deserve!

day by day. you work and change will happen.

want more?

check out tiff's website for fun info & events happening in the minneapolis zumba universe

follow her on twitter here!

and dont forget to enter the blog giveaway here 

[katie is giving away two pairs of earrings!]