Now selling...

My Skeleton Key Necklaces are now being sold at Apricot Lane at The Landing in Branson, Missouri!!! This is extremely exciting for me! This is the first bunch of items I've ever had in an actual store. I make each and every necklace out of braided fabric (mostly vintage, some new, some used), one beautiful hand-selected antique skeleton key, coordinating color of embroidery thread, and a vintage button as the closure. These are a little creation that I came up with a few months ago. I never expected people to like them so much and request that I make them some! I've made a few for friends here and there since then. My dear friends Cassie and Angela were one of the first to receive one of these little guys as a gift. My dear Dad made a sweet little display stand for them and I painted it. It is just really exciting to see my dreams start to become a reality. I have always wanted to make and sell handmade items in my own store one day. I am still in the VERY early stages of this dream but you have to learn how to climb before you can climb a mountain (Yes, that is a Barney song reference!). Here are a few pictures that I took of them before they went to the store.

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Merry Christmas.

It was a good day.

I am blessed beyond word and so, so thankful.

I hope your day was everything you wanted it to be.

A long, long time ago...

 

This is a photo of Mom, me, and Santa when I was almost 2.  I was quite scared of the big man in a weird red outfit and long white beard. He apparently found it humorous.

Happy Christmas Eve! I hope it is lovely. 

work sucks

I did nothing all day. I woke up at 11:30 and have been in sweats all day long. I haven’t put shoes on once. I did shower. But only because I have to go to work at 9 pm…PM…what? yeah. American Eagle sucks the life out of me. I’ll drive an hour to go work a stupid night shift that won’t end until at least 5 am…maybe later. It is money. I need money….This is what I keep telling myself so that I actually go. Because nothing in me wants to go. I want to stay home by this nice warm fire and pretty lit tree. Growing up isn’t always fun, but sadly, it is unavoidable.

Home Love

I am a homebody. I LOVE being home more than most people I know. I love walking up to my front door and smelling the wood fire burning inside. I love seeing my Mom standing there waiting for me as soon as I open the door to help me carry anything in. I love seeing the Christmas tree all lit with ornaments that my sister and I made when we were little. I love being bombarded by my giant black lab, Charlie.I love seeing pictures of my family all around the house. I love home. It means so much to me. I can't wait for the day when I can bring my kids here, to Grandma and Grandpa's house. I hope they love it just as much as I do.

Here are a couple photos that I snapped while at home. I will have many more throughout the break.

this one was being difficult and decided to not upload straight....

I made it.

I have yet another completed semester under my belt. I am blown away at how fast the last two years have passed. I love finishing tasks, and I consider the semester one BIG task. So YAY! Task complete. I Have only three more semesters of classes and then a semester of student teaching, which I am both incredibly excited for and super duper nervous at the same time. I feel like I have grown and changed A LOT in this semester alone. I went through some things that were very challenging but I made it out stronger. I started a new job on campus, one of the most challenging and time consuming jobs that there is. I loved (almost) every minute of it! It has really helped me learn how to manage my time which is such an important skill. I've also been stretched by it spiritually and socially. It has held me more accountable for the things that I do and say. I've also had to reach out of my little comfort zone and talk to people that I normally would have no interest in talking to. I am so thankful for this job. I also went through the loss of a best friend and boyfriend, all in one person. Break ups are never easy. But I think that I became much more independent through it. I realized that I do not need another human to be fulfilled. I am enough through Christ. That lesson alone was worth the pain. I've always been searching to be complete through earthly things and I finally understand that I was looking in all the wrong places. I got a tattoo as a reminder of this just last week. It is a small outline of a heart on my left ring finger.

I have three whole weeks off from class. I'm not sure what I will do with myself. I have lots of things in mind like...sewing, crafting, sleeping, baking, shopping, taking pictures and just enjoying this precious time. Hopefully I will be blogging more now that I have a little break from all the crazy stuff. 

Loves,

Shelby