A Moment In Time

Just a reminder to take a moment each day and reflect on the joys and blessings in your life. Adding a few moments of stillness to your morning will help you focus on what is ahead and better prepare you to take on the day.

Celebrating Milestones

As many of you know I have an Etsy Shop where I create many upcycled and ecofriendly products. I love to sew and have created items in my mountain studio for everyone from birth to 101.  I am coming up on a milestone of 200 sales in my shop. As a thank you to my customers and to celebrate this milestone I am currently offering FREE Shipping on several of my handbags and purses!   Thank you all for your continued support and for choosing to buy handmade!
<3 Misti

Taking the Spark Challenge

I am a member of Handmade Spark.  If you haven't heard of this awesome website yet, then you must check it out.  Handmade Spark is a marketing service for handmade sellers, and a creative blog for the indie and handmade community.  If you get a chance, please visit my Mini-Site. Handmade Spark has put out a Blogging Challenge and I am up for the challenge!  They will be posing questions that we blog about.  So please join me in this blogging jouney.

Spark One: How has your creativity changed over the past year?

I feel like this is a good time in my life for reflecting on my creativity.  One year ago my family made a big move as my husband changed careers.  I went from being a full-time military wife, going weeks and months without seeing my husband to a stay at home mom with my husband home every night. His career change has been so good for our family and while he is still part-time military I feel we have found a good balance in our lives.  With this new move, we have purchased a log home in this wonderful state of Montana.  Our home is surrounded by Ponderosa Pines and we have all sorts of wildlife who call our land home as well.  The large kitchen and rock fireplace all make this a cozy and inviting place to live.  It is my dream home. 

What does this have to do with creativity you ask?  Everything! I now have a sewing studio - complete with large windows and a walk out deck.  It is on the second floor of our home and has incredible mountain views.  While my studio doubles as a guest room - the room has ample space to lay out projects and plenty of light.  Furthermore, I have more time to spend in my studio.  My kids are a driving force in inspiring new products.  I am always looking for things that make a mom's life a little easier.

Like many artist's studios, my space inspires me.  I feel it has stretched me to try new things and further develop my sewing skills.  The beauty of nature outside my window is a constant reminder to be gentle to our environment.  I have put an emphasis on lowering the impact by making many ecofriendly products, my favorite being my upcycled dresses from previously loved men's shirts. 

Overall, I feel like my life has lended itself to actually being able to explore my creativity.  I feel I am just at the tip of the iceberg.  Thank you for joining me in this journey.  For more inspiration and creativity posts, visit Handmade Spark

Finding Inspiration on a Plane

We are coming up on the busiest travel season of the year.  While the joy of spending time with friends and family for the holidays may be a joyous occasion, traveling to get there is not! I recently found myself on a four hour flight across the country with two small children and a sleeping husband.  My little one was also napping and my seven year old was bored out of his mind.  The homework in his backpack was just not too appealing at the time.  The Didj Games had lost their intrigue.  I dug a pen out of my purse and grabbed up an airline napkin and began to teach him the wisdom that has been passed down for generations.  Knowledge that every school-aged boy needs.  I taught him how to play Hangman.

How many of you played this as a child? Passing notes through class, playing it on the bus or while waiting
for the next activity to start? Now, I ask you - how many of you have sat down and played this with your kids?  Within minutes, my son was cackling! He lost the first game, but it didn't matter - he was hooked. It was then his turn to think up the phrase. I began guessing the letters and before too long I figured the puzzle out.  It was the phrase every mother longs to hear from her seven year old son and while he didn't say the words out loud, it made no difference.

There it was spelled out in black and white in his crooked writing.  There will be no denying it now.  Three little words that give me inspiration to get through the rest of the trip.

You Are Cool.

My challenge to you this holiday season is to play a simple game of hangman with your child, with you spouse, or even with the stranger sitting next to you on your next flight.  Strong connections can be formed when communicating the unspoken word.

To get your own Hangman inspired products, visit these fine etsy shops:

For Hangman Thank You notes, visit ScarletCatDesigns

For the Paper Games Pad set visit Confetti By Lexi

For the Personalized Game Pad visit Personalized Paperz

Love Is

My ten year wedding anniversary is coming up.  While on a recent flight to a family wedding I was given much time to ponder love, or rather what it means to love someone with all your heart and soul and for that person to love you back - completely and without reservation.  What does it mean to commit yourself to one person for the rest of your life? I don't believe love can be defined as it is ever changing forms.  Love just is.
Ask a mother of a newborn child and she may say love is miraculous.

Ask a couple on their wedding day and they may say love is bliss!




Ask a mother sending her child on their first day of kindergarten.  She may say love is a protective shield that never leaves you.

Ask a brother with a little sister and he may say love is annoying.

Ask a father of a sick child and he may say love is painful.

Ask a father who is sending his son to war and he may say love is nobel.  Ask a mother and she may say love is frightening.

Ask a parent who has ever lost a child, and they may say love is unbearable.

Ask a man who has just laid his wife to rest after fifty years together and he may say love  is neverending.

Whatever form love may take on any given day there is one thing I know.  Love is not always easy.  Nor is it hard.  While sometimes it doesn't show itself, love is always there.  Love knows no boundaries.  You can never love too little or too much. 

Love just is.


Love these pictures Get more of them at the following Etsy Shops!
Spell it out Love Candle by http://www.etsy.com/shop/SPELLitOUTbyLSudler
I will hold you in my heart by http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaurenBPhotography
Holding Hands by http://www.etsy.com/shop/denisenfamily

Homefront Team and the Semper Fi Fund

More than 33,000 American warriors have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan since the beginning in September of 2001. These people's lives and the lives of their wives, children, mothers, brothers, and sisters are forever changed. The SemperFi Fund is there to give assistance to these brave military members and their families. Please take a moment to read what they are all about.

"The Semper Fi Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit set up to provide immediate financial support for injured members of U.S. Armed Forces and their families. We direct urgently needed resources to Marines and Sailors, as well as members of the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard who serve in support of Marine forces."

 "The basic ideal that drives our efforts is simple: as much as these American heroes have sacrificed, they deserve the best care and support available in their hour of need. Injuries are often severe, and the road to recovery or rehabilitation can be long and costly. Beyond the staggering costs of hospitalization and treatment, related expenses typically pile up quickly. Family members may lose income when taking time off work to visit and care for injured loved ones. Childcare, plane fare and other travel expenses often stretch a family's budget to the breaking point."

"There may be need for physical therapy and counseling. Wheelchairs, specialized equipment and learning devices. Specially adapted cars and vans. Many of those we work with must have their homes modified, or even move into a new home designed to accommodate a serious disability. The list goes on and on, and so do the bills. That's where we come in."


Please take a moment to visit these Homefront Team Shops and support the Semper Fi Fund.

'Help a Wounded Warrior' by PrairieWindDesigns

The Homefront Team is doing a fundraiser to help wounded soldiers. 100% of the proceeds of each of these sales goes to the Semper Fi Fund.

11x14 Photography Ameri... CreationsAnew $30.00	Fabric Flower Bobby Pin... HoldsIt $15.00	SemperFi Fund Upcycled ... PrairieWindDes... $23.00
My Daddy My Hero - Cust... bananabearbout... $18.00	Semper Fi Fund Vintage ... SerendipityDec... $12.00	SemperFi Fund Vintage W... dbdesigned $54.00
SemperFi Fund Gift Bask... LilacAve $25.00	SALE Marine Corps Rever... AStonesThrow $30.00	Crochet Grey Slouchy Ha... quitecrafty $16.00
Semper Fi Fund Nursing ... ANursingRemind... $24.00	Fluffy Monet Scarf CLeeDesigns $20.00	Primitive Patriotic Rag... WanderingWhims... $29.00
Blossom, Bundled Rate P... AhoyGraphics $60.00	BALLET SHOES Hair Clip ... 3LittleBowsBou... $13.00	SemperFi Fund 7/8 Inch ... dbdesigned $34.00

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We have a Winner!

And the winner of a 1941 Searchlight Recipe Book is:



Congratulations Sandy and Cosmo! You have won the antique cookbook from the Cookbook Addict!  Stacey will be contacting you shortly in exchange address information.  A special Thank You to Stacey from the Coobook Addict for offering this great giveaway and sharing her fantastic recipes!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my most popular giveaway to date!  I appreciate all my new blog followers and subscribers! I look forward to sharing with you as we try to find more Inspiration in the Everyday!