Changes, Decisions and an Invitation

I love blogging. I really do. Having a blog has allowed new windows to open in my world and new friends to be found.

I've had many evenings, of late, where I've slapped my forehead and said, "I forgot to blog!".

My life has suddenly become quite full. The boys are getting older, I'm taking more leaps with Anna K. Originals, and now *gulp* I'm going back to college.

That's right. This over-thirty momma is going to college!

I'm almost finished with the application process to be accepted into the Art Institute of Pittsburgh's Online Digital Design program. It's a one year diploma program and I'm stoked about it, but nervous at the same time. Classes start very soon...

So, here's the thing. For the time being I think I'll be blogging exclusively over at my Anna K. Originals blog. I hope y'all will stop by and visit me....

After all, the welcome mat's always out over there, too!

Big Announcement...

Anna K. Originals is up and running! Complete with handmade elements by yours truly. I'm so excited!

The amazing Darcy from Graphically Designing is, of course, the lady behind the design and technical wizardry. I was a little intimidated at the idea of managing a Wordpress blog, but she walked me through the dashboard and answered all my questions...yes, even the slightly silly ones!

Have I mentioned that I'm excited?

The Other Side of the Camera...

Taking pictures is so much fun as long as I'm not on the other side of the camera. Two babies, a dysfunctional relationship with the gym, and a few dozen hang ups don't make it easy for me to get in front of a camera these days. I am more than happy to be behind one. Of course, my Mom was much the same way and now that she's gone we don't have very many pictures of her....my Dad reminds me of this a lot. *sigh*

Anyway , I wanted to try and get a new headshot for my blog and business and these were some of the results. The first two, I did try to edit a bit but I'm not sure how "correct" they are.



This was one of the first I took. I was feeling pretty silly standing there taking pics of myself in the bathroom. What?! I needed the extra light!



By the time this one was taken, I think the Hubs had me laughing at something.....


You just had to know that there were outtakes, right? Here's just one of them. Lovely.

Which one do you like? Should I keep trying? Suggestions?

Family before Blog~

I've been feeling a pull lately (for the last couple of months, really). A pull to take Everyday Occasions in a different direction. After reading this beautiful post by Darcy (who designed my blog, by the way) about her business bringing more exposure to her personal blog and, as a result, her family, I knew I had to share my feelings with you all.

With the advent of my business, Anna K. Originals, getting underway (just waiting for licenses to be approved) my contact information will be floating around for anyone to see. This leaves my boys and the Hubs vulnerable.

I, as a wife and a mom, have to think of their safety and dignity and, ultimately, their happiness.

The Hubs, who is going through some health problems right now, needs to be left some semblance of privacy and dignity. The Bubs, who is getting older, is becoming increasingly aware of what I post about him...with that awareness comes the very real potential for him to be uncomfortable or embarrassed. They are all so precious to me and nothing is worth them being made to feel uncomfortable or put on display just so I can have a blog post.

Does that mean Everyday Occasions is going away?

No.

It's just time to take it in a slightly different direction...maybe a photoblog, of sorts. I'm still working on ideas but, come what may in the next few months, I hope y'all will continue to stop by and share with me. I know you'll understand that this decision comes from a mother's prayerful heart.

"Second verse same as the first, a little bit louder, a little bit worse."

Wow, this is the first time I've had a chance to blog all week!

Weeeeeelllll, now that I think about it I've had at least a couple other opportunities but everytime I sat down to jot a blurt, I couldn't stop thinking about how much I miss Momma. Then I thought, no one wants to keep reading about my grief. These people are struggling with things in their own lives and probably want to read about something funny or uplifting.

I would sit for a minute or two and try to conjure up something only to give up and move to some other task that needed my attention. When you have a baby, making the most of every free second is paramount, after all.

Yet, grieving is where I am right now in my journey. I can't change it. I wouldn't, even if I could because that would mean Momma would still be in pain. I've been irrevocably altered by a great loss and writing about it, while it may not take the hurt away (I depend on God to help me with that biggie), might make it a little easier to cope so I'm in a functional, forward-moving frame of mind for my family. I've never experienced grief on this level before. One minute I'm mercifully distracted by the mundane neccessities of day-to-day living, the next minute I'm having flashbacks of what Momma looked like that last time in the hospital as she struggled with being intubated because her lungs were so full of blood. It's the most horrifyingly brutal emotional rollercoaster I could imagine...and, for the moment, I'm on it.

So if you begin to hear the phrase that makes up this post's title run through your mind when you read some of my future posts....forgive me, y'all. It's just where I am in my life right now. There may be general guidelines for the stages of grieving, but I've come to realize that it's a very personal thing to go through and that everyone works through it in their own time and in their own way and there's no handbook that tells how to get through it in 3 easy steps.

Thank you for your understanding and for the kind condolences and comments y'all have sent our way. They've meant a lot to me.

It's my (belated) Bloggy-versary!

It hit me a few days ago that my 1 year bloggy-versary has come and gone without me doing one thing to celebrate it! I'll blame it on the usual holiday hooplah and let it slide, but I did want to commemorate it with my first Everyday Occasions post. I decided to take up blogging after reading my cousins' blogs and getting such a kick out of the pictures and stories about what was going on in their lives. I was in the middle of one of Hubby's deployments at the time, also, and I thought it would be a good way to distract me from the evening blues that so often happened after the Bubs was asleep.

I've been fortunate enough to have met some fabulously thoughtful and creative people through this venture and I'm addicted to reading your blurts and getting your comments. Seriously, y'all, I looooove the comments!

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This Christmas makes the second year in a row that my five year old son, the Bubs, and I have celebrated the holiday season without my husband. He is currently out of country fulfilling a 7 month deployment as a United States Marine. I am unabashedly proud of my hubby and understand that there are going to be times when he has to be away from home. When he puts his name down on the dotted line for another enlistment it's as if we have all signed our names right along with him. As much as I understand the need for him to be away, I must confess that during the holiday season I find myself fighting off some serious self pity! As a result, I tend to go a little overboard with the whole Christmas gig in order to distract my son and me. Needless to say I had begun to feel the effects of juggling so many different events earlier this month and was crankier than my son when he's overheated, hungry and tired!

So after dropping my mom off at her doctor's appointment a couple weeks ago (she is bravely battling breast cancer), my son and I did something you wouldn't think of as being particularly Christmassy to counter act my bout of bah-humbugness. We walked along the water front. It was just he and I on the deserted sidewalks and docks...along with a few dozen sea gulls. We meandered along and stopped to look at whatever struck our fancy. We looked out over the calm waters at some sailboats that were anchored nearby, shells that the gulls had broken on the sidewalk, waterway maps on the sides of buildings and small fish darting here and there in the shallows. We even enjoyed swinging on the covered swings that lined a portion of the water front. I, as usual, had my camera in hand and snapped off pictures at will. It was a wonderful walk in it's unhurried, unplanned simplicity.


I know that it may not be what many think of as a traditional holiday event but for me it captured everything that's become precious to me about Christmas as I've gotten a bit older (notice I didn't say matured...) and that is family. For those precious moments I was able to truly enjoy being with my son and he with me. I think every child should have memories of their parents of when they were able to just....be...with one another. (Of course, this is much easier said than done.)

The Bubs perfectly summed up the morning as I was getting him into his car seat. He gave a big, blustery sigh and said, "We had a great walk Mommy. I love you."

Ridin' the pine and not feelin' all that fine...

I've been contemplatin' whether or not to start a pregnancy blog....you know, so y'all won't get bored with my blathering on about getting impossibly round, my many and varied food aversions/cravings, and how findin' decent maternity clothes for a plus-size gal is a pain....just to name a few reasons. I'm on the fence about it. I'm not sure I have time to keep up with both blogs but, on the other hand, a lot of my readers are related to me and a prego blog would be a great way to keep them in the know despite the distance between us.......or I could just include it all on this blog. Oy! See what I mean? That fence is givin' me some serious splinters.

I'm thinking a poll may be just what the proctologist ordered. Nothin' faincy, just leave me a comment letting me know what your opinion is.

I'd stay and "talk" a little longer but the Hubs is home and the Closer is on!

Bloggy quirks and bad habits.....Confession time, Y'all!

I've been writing on here for a little while now and I like to think that I've found my personal style/rhythm. Along the way, I've noticed that I've developed a few quirks (bad habits?) when I'm writing my entries. Here are a few....and they're even in my favorite format - A List!

• I use, commas, when , I don't really need, them and when I do I don't.
• I misspell the simplist wordz. (Spellcheck? Nah! Why would I use that?)
• Their~They're~There Those three words have always given me fits.
• Odd and funny southern words (mommick, y'all, etc.) frequently make their way into my writing. I remain unapologetic about that, though. It's fun for me! And, yes, I really talk like that....
• I write like I talk...that often means that "-ing" words are minus the -g. For example, I tend to do my bloggin' in the evenin'.
• I've learned that it's never a good thing to blog angry. (Ooh! A new sayin' for a bumper sticker! "Friends don't let friends blog angry.")

There are prob'ly many more things that I could add to the list. As much as I don't mind pokin' fun at myself, I'm not a glutton for punishment so I'll just keep the list on the short side! D'you have any bloggy quirks?

Confessions of a Bloggy Slacker

Alrighty. I admit it. I did a bad, bad thing *cue bad, bad Chris Isaac song*. My evenings have not been as devoted to jotting down bloggy blurbs since the hubs came home.

There. I said it.

I can't seem to get into any kind of routine when it comes to posting on here....you know, with any semblance of regularity. It's not that I don't have anything to write about. Oh, no! For once this here gal has bloggity ideas out the oodie (and, no, you don't wanna know what that is!)...just no time to post. Oi. I have, however, spent time flitting from fave blog to fave blog readin' up a storm the last few days when I can grab a second. By the way, the hubs still gets this bemused look on his face when I laugh out loud at some of the hilarities y'all post. Don't get me wrong, he's glad that I've found something I enjoy and even finds time to read what I've written (and likes it), but the whole concept has still got him befuddled.

Anyhoo~ To me, and I might be alone in this, the time to blog is in the evening after the day's work is done and I'm kicked back on the couch with recorded episodes of "Are You Being Served" on the telly, a glass of sweet tea at the ready and the Bubs asleep in his room. Y'all that is totally different now. I don't consider it a bad thing, just something else to get used to in a long line of blessed adjustments. -I say "blessed adjustments" 'cause the hubs could still be deployed, injured or worse. So all these adjustments that we're all goin' through "ain't nuttin' but a thang" as the hubs says!-

So, for now, bloggity blurbs will just hafta be jotted down whenevah and wherevah I can find a second to plop my tush down with my laptop and "I am unanimous in this". (Couldn't resist the Mrs. Slocombe quote from Are You Being Served) Do you subscibe to same theory of wherever/whenever or have you figured out how to eek out time from your schedule for blogging that's (anywhere near) regular? Are you a mornin' or an evenin' blurb jotter? I'm curious.......

My blog is getting a face-lift....and it won't look like Joan Crawford, folks!

Darcy from http://www.graphicallydesigning.com/ is currently working on breathing some new life into my bloggy look and I'm so excited I can hardly sit still!! I love anything creative and I'm totally in awe of her ability to bring together the "arty" and the "techy" to create beautiful sites. I've visited every site that she's beautified and they are all tailor-made to fit each bloggy author's personality, from the scrap-book cutesy to the laid-back minimal. As a result she's got quite a queue lined up and recently had to temporarily close it down. I'm amazed at how quickly she's able to put these pages together, though, so she'll prob'ly be able to open things back up soon.....maybe?

I've become a big fan of her how-to tips that she posts, as well. I'm a complete newbie at all this stuff, but she manages to make it all sound so easy and approachable. It makes me want to try a few things on my own and take up yet another creative outlet!

And just think, she does all of this in between maintaining another blog, raising three very cute little boys, and home-schooling. Oi. Darcy, you are a wonder, Shug!

***Update on Mom- Her port was removed yesterday and the area was flushed to make sure all bacteria/infections were removed as well. I talked with her yesterday evening and she sounded much better albeit a trifle tired. I'll be calling shortly to find out what's going on today.

Peace, Y'all!

Anna K.

Blogging Blanks!

Yep. I got nothing. Not one fun, witty thing to write about. I've got a case of the blogging blanks. I wonder if my cousins, who write for newspapers and/or freelance, feel like this on occasion? Don't get me wrong, I have lots of ideas. They just seem to decide to take a hike when I sit down with my laptop. Of course, there's a whole side of my life that I can't really talk about, much less blog about. Being a military family has its restrictions, after all.

I've seen some blogs that have something special going on for certain days of the week. I've gotta come clean and admit that I'm not that organized. Or rather, I start out being organized.....right up until I forget to be organized. If that statement made sense to you, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout!

So, my fellow bloggers, what do you do when you get the blogging blanks? Or do you even have that problem? If this is you and you have something new to write about everyday, please don't leave a snarky comment for me. Be gentle and type slowly.

Ranting from my soapbox...with love!

Scraaaaaape...shuffle, shuffle, shufle....THUNK!

"Ahem."

Alright people. I've officially dragged my soapbox out and am now ready to speak.

I'm very new to the world of blogging and was a teensy bit aprehensive about my writing not being good enough compared to others that I had read. My love of being creative drowned out any inner protestations, however, and it's become one of my greatest outlets. I look forward to catching up on the latest posts from my fave blogs by some very talented, funny and gracious ladies. I have noticed that I keep coming across the same line of thinking in the posts I've been reading lately...and, to be honest, have thought and expressed the same thinking on more than one occasion myself. We all look at other people's posts/lives, compare ourselves and find ourselves wanting. I admit to reading other entries and wishing I could write something as funny/inspiring as another person or have felt like my life is so small compared to another's busy and adventure-filled life. Have you found yourself doing the same?

How utterly silly we are being!! I love delving into your different worlds through your writing and pictures. Yes, it's a great thing to feel a sense of connection with another blogger who shares your sense of humor or is at a similar place in their life. To me, the best thing is to learn. To see the same things through a different pair of eyes, so to speak. So let's all just relax, write and enjoy ourselves shall we!

Okay, I'm done now.