(She always folds her hands while sleeping. Love it.)
There’s something so splendid about a warm baby snuggled into your neck on a snowy day.
Oh what a morning we had!
It was 9:45 a.m. Fifteen minutes before showtime. The three of us had been up for 26 1/2 hours at that point. All through the night we had been sewing, cutting fabric/paper/ribbon, painting, and cleaning with Elf, then The Holiday, then While You Were Sleeping on in the background. There had been no time to think. Just sew.
But at that moment, at 9:45a.m., as I was madly attaching price tags to everything (so beautifully displayed if I do say so myself), as mom and Frit were making 5 gallons of hot chocolate and setting out the doughnuts on the crisp white table cloth, it hit me.
This is it. The thing I’ve been working towards for two months now. The thing I’ve invested all my time and money in…What if no one comes?
Internally I started to freak out. (I mean really freak out.) Externally I kept my focus. But Frit took one look at me and could see the fear in my eyes.
I went outside to hang a banner on the porch. She followed me out, and there on the porch, on a cold, snowy, morning we huddled together and said a prayer. A prayer that God would bless my efforts. That people would come. That it would all work out.
At 9:58 she arrived. My first customer. A complete stranger. A nod from heaven that this “thing” would work, or at the very least be ok. She left having ordered two custom aprons. (Huzzah!)
The next eight hours were a flurry of people and snow. And at the end of the day, when it was dark and I was plum tuckered, what had begun as a fully stocked boutique had become quiet, leftover remnants of hard work, hopes, prayers, and the support of friends new and old.
Thank you for coming. Thank you.
From the bottom of my heart.
***
This week’s task: to get everything up online for you out-of-state shoppers. Just in time for Christmas! :)
And an extra special thank you goes out to my mom. You worked your fingers to the bone. I’m ever grateful and I love you mucho. So glad you could be here.
… it’s a little bit chilly. But I’m cozy under a blanket and have just finished my morning routine: Prayer, Conference talk (I read this one today), scriptures, emails, Google reader. It used to be: Google reader, blog hop, emails, scriptures, prayer. But I changed it up to, you know, put first things first. It’s definitely a better this way.
So my days are filled with sewing and painting and sketching and sewing and painting and sewing…getting ready for the big day and all. I’ll be honest, I’m a little overwhelmed and sometimes wonder, “what in the heck was I thinking?”, but it’s fun. So I’m happy. Lucky for me my mom’s in town this week and is a great worker bee. She saved my bacon.
So yesterday I did another recording session. I almost said no because of all the things I need to get done. But it’s good money and I want them to call again, so I said yes. I recorded vocals for a film score library. I don’t know what films the pieces will be used for, but if you’re watching a movie someday and you hear the oo’s and ah’s in the music, it might just be me. Crazy!
So Frit‘s gone on a few dates with some eHarmony matches. Nothing worth writing home about yet, but it’s good. But it’s also making me think. I need to figure this dating thing out. I’ve gotta get on the ball with it too. Blah. I don’t know what else to say about that really.
So I’m headed downstairs to eat some breakfast and then get back to the sewing machine. The sun’s coming through the blinds and it’s a yummy golden yellow. I love sunny days.
Today’s going to be a great day.
See you Saturday!
xo
Well we’re t-minus 4 days now until the Grand Opening of Island Belle Boutique! And quite honestly, I’m going crazy. I’m excited, nervous, worried, and confident all rolled into one. I can’t thank you enough for the support, encouragement, and cheerleading you’ve offered along the way and for sharing the announcement and poster on your blogs & Facebook pages. You are amazing friends to have (even if we’ve never met). It’s going to be a fun, fun day and I hope you all can come. Oh and speaking of Facebook…if you’d like to become a fan of KQM Creative, here’s the link. Through that page I’ll be able to offer more “real time” info about the Boutique, Photography, and Consulting services we’re offering.
So onto other business. Last week I my friend, Jacey hired me to take her family pictures. She’s a funny funny writer and has the dang cutest kids. Here are some of my favorites from their family portrait session.
…and one final picture of my favorite little guy. He was such a trooper. It was so cold and the last 30 minutes were rough due to a minor meltdown by his younger brother (bless his heart), but Ben just kept smiling and looking straight at the camera. What a doll.
Speaking of meltdowns…doesn’t every family picture either end or begin with one? I still remember one particular photo session with my own family where we were all fighting the entire morning of. Mom didn’t like Karly’s hair, I took somebody’s brush, so-and-so needed to get in the bathroom and so-and-so was taking too long in the mirror (I don’t remember who so-and-so was), Dad wanted everyone to be quiet, and on and on and on. Even in the car on the way to the location, we were all in a huff.
When we got to the beach, mom turned to the three of us and glared, “You will smile. And you will be happy. You will look like you like each other.”
Ha! I love family pictures. So if you need yours taken (Christmas card season is upon us!), let me know. You can get $25 dollars off your session if booked by Saturday. It’ll be a blast. I promise!
If you’re still looking for that special gift for your friends, sisters, mothers, daughters, neighbors, teachers, baby showers, bridal showers or just need something unique and lovely for yourself, stop by!
I’m beside myself about this event and am so looking forward to seeing friends old and new and yet to be made. All the items in the shop are handmade by me and include jewelry, hair accessories, handbags, home decor, children’s gifts and apparel, aprons, and more. I’m certain you’ll find something for everyone on your list.
So gather the girls and come together for a fun day of shopping!
And if you’d like to post this flyer on your blog or Facebook page,
I’ll love you forever.
Just click here to download.
For those of you who are out of state, my online shop will open after the Grand Opening event.
(If you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll respond ASAP.)
Here’s hoping you had a lovely holiday weekend.
I don’t know why these things are on my mind, but here they are. Five things I don’t like are:
1. Mustard
2. Pepperoni
3. Mint
4. those stringy things that stick to the sides of a banana
5. Christmas music before Thanksgiving
And speaking of Thanksgiving … enjoy this!
Well the wedding was a success! The snow (thankfully) held off and though it was a bit chilly, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset which made for dreamy light whilst taking pictures of the newly married couple. They were just so happy, I couldn’t help but smile the whole, darn, time.
I finished editing the images yesterday and am excited to deliver them to the bride’s mother today on my way to another family portrait session (!). It’s becoming such a special experience to capture these important moments for people. I feel blessed they would ask me.
Here are a few of my faves from Saturday:
(Oh, and as a reminder, I’m offering $25 off any session purchased by Dec. 5. That includes family, child & infant, bridal & engagement, & personal portraits. Call 801.360.1235 or email krista@gmail.com for more info and to schedule.)
It’s a quiet snowy morning here in Utah. The sun is trying to peek through and I for one am whole-heartedly cheering him on. This white world is breathtaking but it’s bitter cold and my bones are shaking.
So this weekend I went through and read again all the comments and emails left on “What Do You Really Want.” It’s inspiring to me, these desires and dreams and hopes that manifest themselves when we step back from what we have.
This question is one I’ve asked myself a lot since I lost my job. What do I really want? And my “problem” isn’t that I can’t think of anything–it’s that the length of my list wraps around the world. But today I want to share your responses:
(I added a little back story on a few of these as I thought doing so would help readers who don’t know the responder understand the weight of the comment)
Rebecca said…I want to live in the country and raise Alpacas~oh, and be skinny…live in the country, be skinny, and raise Alpacas!
Nancy B. said…I want to be in the temple with my husband and every single one of my children and their spouses.
Lori (my mom who lives 3,000 miles away from her 3 daughters) said…Living near all of my children so we could have Sunday dinners…you can cook most of the time :0)…But I would even cook just to have that! Just near enough to be able to hear all that “noise” and to get a hug. I would live anywhere to have that! And then we could make beautiful music together! That’s the music in my soul!
Catie said…I really want to grow old and gray. I dream about being cancer-free. It would make me happy to get to see each of my children married in the temple. I think about eternity. I light up when I am with my husband and children laughing, and I hope to light up every day for a very, very long time.
(This is my dear friend Catie, who is fighting her second battle with cancer while being an amazing mother to her three young children. I love you Catie.)
Maryhelen said…Writing, speaking, helping women young and old understand and remember who they really are. And somehow incorporate music into that. And teaching. And nursing. or maybe paramedicine. I do have to add my desire to be skinny to Rebecca’s… someday soon I hope there’s a big fat check mark next to that one!
Heather said…Gosh, Krista is it really lame that I still don’t have an answer for this?! I guess its hard because this isn’t the life that I imagined having. Becoming LDS changes your goals and dreams and I guess I have been so caught up in the everyday life of being a wife and mom that I don’t know what I truly want anymore and that is kinda sad. Of course I want to see all my children and their spouses in the temple and I would love to live on the beach and I would love to grow old with my family surrounding me but right now my biggest wish is for a day to myself to sleep and eat junk food without sharing it and read my 1500 emails and google reader posts. :)
(I met Heather while on my mission in Washington. She joined the LDS church in her early 20s.)
Sara said…I love Heather’s post! The last few days I’ve woken up and thought “what do I really want to do today?” and most of the time it has been 1. eat deliciously fattening fast food 2. either watch a chick flick alone or spend time with girl friends doing something totally self absorbed (like getting a pedicure). But really, that’s not what I REALLY want more than anything. I really want a fantastic relationship with my husband and well adjusted, spiritual, good children. I want all of us to be truly happy because we know who we are and where we’re going. I want to be happy even when life is tough. Because it is tough. Like many other people – I really do want my body to be the way I think it should: skinny! And really, nothing would make me more happy than to raise my kids around all of my siblings, Dustin’s siblings and their kids. The thought of that makes me want to burst. So, if I can remember these overall goals when I drag myself out of bed in the morning I’m sure my days would go much differently!
Annie said…I wish my entire family lived close to one another instead of spread across the country, that our children could grow up together and know each other more than seeing each other once every year or two. And I wish that if we were all close, that all of my friends and my job and my life here stayed with me- just transplanted in a new place. I wish an awful coworker I have would suddenly win the lottery and move far, far, far away and leave me alone! I wish I could have said good bye to an old friend from high school who suddenly died last week at the age of 31 leaving behind his wife and beautiful girls. I wish that I could accomplish everything I need to accomplish in a day without sacrificing sleep. Oh… I could go on and on but I have to go clean up the house before bed! Oh, I’d also like a maid, a masseuse, and a personal chef! :)
Jack’s house said…My life by far is not perfect and there have definitely been trials along the way that I would love to change but at the same time wouldn’t because they have helped to define who I am on the inside and the out. That being said, after having lunch with my husband today, I have realized that there is something that I want more than anything in this world…and that is for my husband to be happy…and right now he just isn’t.
(This is my friend and neighbor Kim. Her baby boy passed away a few years ago. I’m in awe of her.)
Tiffany said…Jack’s house struck a cord with me. Sigh. Don’t know her, but I felt her comment. What do I want more than anything??? That one was tough. There are lots of things that I “want”. Things being the key word there. Part of being human and living in the society we live in I think. But what I really, really want is to grow old and be a grandma. I don’t think it’s going to happen, in fact, thinking that makes me break down into a million pieces and I can’t handle the pain so I DON’T think about it. At least not for very long. But I would love to be healthy and to be old one day. I would give up anything I have to be able to be with my children for a long time.
Marie said…babies
(Marie and I grew up together in the South. Her first baby, Olivia, was born still.)
Emily said…Shouldn’t have read everyone else’s because they’re deep . . . honestly, the thing I want most is for my kids to be healthy and safe and grow up to be good guys. When I kneel down to pray that’s first thing I ask for. Scratch that, beg for. So maybe what I need most is to relax and enjoy all I have. What makes me happy? I have a lot of deep-felt gospel answers, but how about I digress and say dancing – gotta do it more these days!
Anonymous said…What I really want is to know that what I’m doing matters. My husband and I are starting the road to becoming foster parents, which is something I feel called to do. Called from deep in my soul. I want to know that my actions on this earth have helped someone, have made their life better. I want to be an old woman, sitting on my porch and watching my grandkids play. I want to not be afraid of death. Actually, that’s the biggest one for me. I want to not be afraid of death. (don’t worry, I don’t have a terminal illness! it’s just that I’ve lost people and questioned my own mortality…)
Anonymous said…I want to be married.
Anonymous said…What do I want most? I want to know that I’m in the right place, doing the right thing. That I’m on the right path to accomplishing my life’s mission.
Is anyone else filled to the brim with understanding and compassion and hope for this group of people who responded? Some of you know each other. Some of you don’t. Some of you are strangers even to me. And your honesty has inspired me.
I want to be more of my true self. I want to dance more (thanks Em!). I want to write more (thanks Jacey!). I want to be more mindful of others and the things they’re going through or have gone through. I want to be more aware of the dreams people around me have and do all I can to help, teach, love, and serve my fellowmen.
Each of us is living a life filled with ups and down, happiness and sorrow, certainty and uncertainty, and when push comes to shove, the things that matter most are people and living a life filled not with “stuff,” but with substance.
+++
What are your thoughts?
Good Morning! I woke up today before the sun, before the alarm clock, just itching to get at the day. That rarely happens so I’m determined to make the most of it. There is just so much to do.
Tomorrow is my first “real” wedding shoot. i.e. They’re strangers who didn’t hire me simply because I’m a friend and they felt they had to. (Not that anyone would do that.) I’m pretty excited and oddly enough, I’m not nervous at all. Kristi and Ryan are funny to boot and super laid back, which makes this all the more fun.
In lieu of tomorrow’s event, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites from their engagement session (which incidentally was my first shoot where I shot entirely in “manual mode” meaning I chose all the settings for my camera rather than my camera choosing them for me–that’s BIG, in case you’re wondering.).
I also designed their wedding invitation for them:
B.U.S.Y is the word of the day! I’m working on some holiday craft tutorials to post here soon, planning and shopping for tomorrow’s dinner date with Laurel (can’t wait to see you LC!), stocking my shop with gift items you’ll LOVE (available at the boutique on Dec. 5), getting ready for tonight’s Church youth activity, practicing my photog skillz for this Saturday’s wedding (!), praying it doesn’t snow until the reception’s over, and looking forward to the 11:15 p.m. showing of New Moon on Friday (Frit surprised me with tickets! We’re not “crazy” Twilight fans, but we loved the books, and she thought a late-night viewing would be fun! She’s right.).
Have a lovely Thursday!
Oh! And if you’re still thinking about “What You Want Most,” do let me know by Saturday. I’m posting a comprehensive list of everyone’s responses and my thoughts on it this weekend. You’re all such amazing people. I’m inspired every time I read a new comment.
xo
Wow. I am loving your responses to “What Do You Really Want.” Keep ‘em coming! More people have commented and still others are emailing. I’m compiling all the responses (keeping those who want to be anonymous anonymous) and will share them all this weekend. I hadn’t planned on doing that, but it has been such an interesting examination of the desires that exist at the core of our lives, and I thought you’d like to see too. So if you haven’t yet read and commented on that post, I hope you will. I really, truly, with all my heart, want to know what you most want in your life.
So. As you may remember, I am participating in the Smile Challenge with the teenagers I teach at Church, and this morning I read this sermon by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, which was a perfect follow up to the speech I read yesterday, by Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf. Both are full on inspiring truths about Love, but one particular phrase, mentioned in both speeches, caught my attention.
In Elder Uchdorf’s remarks he says, “[God] speaks to us everywhere. As you read God’s word…listen for His voice. During this general conference … listen for His voice. As you visit the temple and attend Church meetings, listen for His voice. Listen for the voice of the Father in the bounties and beauties of nature, in the gentle whispering of the Spirit. In your daily interaction with others, in the words of a hymn, in the laughter of a child, listen for His voice. If you listen for the voice of the Father, He will lead you…” [italics added]
And then Elder Oaks says, “If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it.” [italics added]
Listen.
This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.
I need God’s guidance now, perhaps more than I ever have.
And I think we all need His help. To know what to do. Where to go. And how.
And I know He wants to help.
But we have to listen.
In order to do so, we may have to turn off the television, unplug the iPod, put down the magazine, or walk away from the group. To listen for God we must put ourselves in places where He is, where He can speak, and where we can hear Him.
Today, let’s listen.
