Change - Dedicated to the Hedin Family

Change, it’s the only thing we’ve been able to rely on lately. The last few months have been a whirlwind of change and renewal in the Ross household, and while I’m happy about all of the changes and satisfied with the direction our lives have taken lately, I’ll have to admit it’s all been pretty exhausting.

It started over the Summer. Jeremy enrolled online at Jacksonville State University. Since we married in 2007, he’s been working on-and-off to obtain his degree. The summer of 2012 marked the most serious and permanent jump towards this effort, and it also marked the entrance of college loans into our lives. 

I didn’t anticipate the stress these loans would add to our lives. I had been fortunate enough to have the HOPE scholarship while in college, so I hadn’t accrued mountains of student loan debt. Also, Jeremy and I had lived under pretty strict self-inflicted financial rules for the duration of our married life and were hard-core avoiders of debt that wasn’t a mortgage.

In an instant, all that changed.

Also changing was my professional life. My supervisor and mentor moved on to another job. Other factors at work started shifting; my footing became less and less sure. And it became more and more clear that it was time to move on. I spent several months in a state of unrest. I was unsatisfied with the direction of things; I felt restless and impatient.

I changed during this time. I became Katie Version 2.0. I was myself, but I was stronger. I was more confident. I was less willing to settle. I was less willing to let people walk all over me. At the time, I didn’t even recognize the shift in myself. I only felt the struggle, the frustration. I overlooked the benefits of hardship. Such is human nature.

Blessed relief came in the form of a new job in December and that’s when I noticed the difference in myself. The weight that was lifted with my new job felt nearly like a personality transplant. The stress that had driven my life for so long seemed to evaporate. The happiness that was always just below the surface bubbled up, and I was the Katie that I wanted to be again.

As my new job evolves, as I find my footing and forge my new path, my happiness seems to only grow. As scary as it was to make the first leap from comfort zone to unchartered waters, I’m so relieved that I made that dive, that I’m beginning to make a real splash in my new career.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of another change. Jeremy will be embarking on a new part-time endeavor. As usual, I feel the butterflies and uncertainties that each new challenge brings. Doubt and hesitation make my heart skip a few beats as I think about the days and weeks to come.

With work and school and new-found hobbies and all of the wonderful things we want to try and do, how will we find time for it all? How will we handle all of these changes? How will we embrace new choices and goals and dreams?

I don’t know. I do know that we have survived change before. I do know that life is change and that I better get used to it. I do know that the only thing we can rely on in the coming months and years is that the world is spinning, and we’re going to need to run to keep up.

I do know that when it’s all said and done we’ll be able to see clearly the changes in ourselves and how through hardships and strife, through love and hate, through dark days and sunny, we only become better.

Hi friends,

My blogging friend Nina and her husband Tom are facing some dark days now. Nina is the author of ArtsyNina. She is the kind, witty mother of Jack and June and the wife of Tom. On January 5th, Tom was in a horrible snowmobile accident that left him seriously injured. He sustained numerous injuries to both legs and arms, to his head, his spine, etc., and his road to recovery is going to be long and difficult. 

Unfortunately, the financial burden of this recovery is difficult as well. Because Tom just started a new job recently, he doesn't qualify for FMLA, and Tom and Nina are facing medical bills that will just keep piling up as his recovery goes on. 

So that Tom can focus on his priority, which should be his recovery, a GiveForward site has been created in his honor to assist with the medical bills. If you are able to donate even a few dollars toward the Hedin family, I can assure you they will be appreciated. This young family is just like our own families; they just happened to stumble upon a bad turn of events. Even if you are not able to give, please help to share Tom and Nina's story. 

Thanks for reading!

Etsy Shop Spotlight: Camp Honeybelle

Lately I've discovered something I didn't really know about myself. I like to shop. Now, this will come as a shocking revelation to anyone who knows me, because in the past I've avoided shopping like the plague. I hardly ever buy anything, and when I do, it's usually off the clearance rack of some store, and it's usually because I really need it.

I don't even like the process of shopping. Elbowing through people and feeling like I'm in everybody's way isn't my idea of a good time. Which is why I have kind of started getting into online shopping. Same stuff without the people there to get on my nerves. A win-win. The problem with online shopping? I like to go thrifting and antiquing and flea-marketing...and online shopping doesn't really lend itself to that. Or so I thought.

Etsy is the answer to all my troubles. The wide variety of shops and products on Etsy provides me with my thrifting and antiquing fix and then some. I had previously thought Etsy only offered handmade products, but when my friend Nina of The Adventures of ArtsyNina started her own Etsy shop called Camp Honeybelle, I realized I was mistaken.

Psst! You may remember Nina from before, when I featured her on The Dish.

Camp Honeybelle sells both vintage and handmade items, and for me, it's like a dream come true. Nina has an eye for the stylish and retro. The items she sells in her shop are always quality products, but more than that, they're unique and cute. I've purchased both handmade and vintage items from Camp Honeybelle, and I've been thrilled with my purchases.

I bought the sheet music below to frame and hang in my living room. As you can see, I haven't done that yet (because I'm lazy), but I still love the style and uniqueness of the piece.

I also purchased this adorable mixed media Argyle kitty cat that Nina hand-crafted. She had previously made me a mixed media owl to hang on my wall, which I adored, so the kitty was a natural choice for me.

Each item is lovingly packaged and has this adorable shop card with it!

But don't let my poor photography sell this shop, hop on over yourself to see everything that Camp Honeybelle has to offer, including: vintage dishes, books, clothing, plus handmade cards, owls, pottery, etc. Seriously, y'all, Nina has an artistic and creative eye, and she knows her stuff. She's constantly adding new items to her shop, which makes a daily visit imperative. Let her dress up your house with her retro flair...in fact, let her dress YOU up as well with some of the cutest vintage dresses ever. Can you say Jackie O?

Don't take my word for it. Just look!

For all you Etsy lovers and shop-owners, be sure to stop by The Adventures of ArtsyNina on Fridays for her Friday Shop Hop, where you can link up your Etsy shop and discover some truly excellent shopping. The Hop is growing fast, and each week more and more shops are linking up, so take advantage of this great promotional opportunity!

And guess what? Camp Honeybelle and House Unseen, Life Unscripted (another of my favorite people and blogs) is hosting a giveaway that ends today. So hop over HERE to check it out ASAP!







PS! I suck a promotion. Otherwise, I would have told you yesterday that Bernie over at Budugalee is offering a sale on her awesome cards. Pick any three cards for $7.00! So there's no better time to purchase your Halloween cards than RIGHT NOW!

 

The Dish Featuring The Adventures of Artsy Nina

Welcome to Friday and another edition of The Dish! I hope everyone had a fabulous week. This week's featured blog is sure to end it with a smile. When I first visited The Adventures of Artsy Nina, I knew it was going to be a favorite. I'm sure you all know blogs like that. That capture your attention from the moment you arrive. For me, I think it was the Artsy Nina banner. The retro wife smiling over her shoulder at the retro husband, who's drying the dishes. She looks like she's up to something, like she's got a funny secret she's just dying to tell, and I instantly wanted to know her secret. 

Turns out, the secret was that The Adventures of Artsy Nina rocks, no foolin'. Nina, our blogger hostess, shares her "adventures" as a "1950's housewife, complete with apron and cloth diapers," hence the retro housewife banner. You'll fall in love, as I have, with her fun stories, her vintage style, and her yummy recipes. Oh, and did I mention she makes me laugh? Yep, she has that sarcastic, dry sense of humor I can't help but love (see: her post on Blog Overload). Do I have you convinced to visit yet? Well, just wait, it only gets better.

The House

I admire people who take on huge projects. I admire them, and I want to be them, but I'm unapologetically lazy, so chances are I'm not going to be them. Nina is one of those people I'll never be. She and her husband bought the 1884 house and have been busy updating/remodeling it ever since. Jeremy and I felt very accomplished when we stained our deck, but this couple, well, let's just say they're truly accomplished. 

I love when Nina posts something about the house. I love pouring through the before and after pictures, admiring they're hard work and perseverance, feeling jealous of their interactions with actual, real-life Turdologists. But most of all, I love that Nina and her husband are taking something old and long-neglected and restoring it to its former glory. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of living in a house like Nina's and remodeling it to perfection. Nina's living that dream now, and it's sure a great time seeing her progress on this charming and unique house and its transformation into a home. 


Crafty Cook

One of my favorite things about reading blogs is discovering great new recipes from around the country and the world. The Adventures of Artsy Nina takes recipe hunting to an entirely new level with the recipes she shares from vintage cookbooks. Ever tried making Fresh Orange Chewies (which look delicious, by the way, click "vintage cookbooks" for the recipe and pics!)? What about Barbecued Spare Ribs? And then there are the recipes that Nina writes and embellishes herself: Potunas, anyone? 

To see all of her recipes in one place, visit her Recipe Box. 

Nina's not only a good cook, she also happens to be a good crafter. As a woman lacking a single crafting bone in her entire body, I find this particular characteristic to be outrageously awesome. Which would explain why I'm outrageously jealous of it. :) She does fun things like making recycled soap and creating adorable magnets and wreaths. You know, she does the things that I would do...if I were even a smidgen crafty. 

Scrumptious Survey: Answered by Blogger

What’s your favorite dish/food?

I don't like to be pigeonholed.   How can I pick just one item? If you saw my thighs, you would understand that no food is discriminated against in this house.  I eat it all, too much, and too often.

What’s your favorite type of cuisine (Italian, French, etc.)?

  Mexican.  Hands down.   But not the Americanized Mexican restaurant type, with crappy margaritas and bland flavors.  I'm talking roadside stand, pork wrapped in soft corn tortillas, smothered in fresh cilantro and onions and lime, cooked in a dirty trailer Mexican.  And it's usually cheaper too!

What is unique about the cuisine in your part of the world? 

I think Minnesotans specialize in tatertot hotdish.  Or lutefisk and lefse.  Do I eat any of that? If it's around, ya sure you betchya!
Do I actually make any of that in my kitchen? HECK NO.

Sweet or salty?

I have been described as both.   Oh!   You're not asking about me.  Well, my palette usually prefers salty. And my husband says I use salt too much.   I have recently discovered the wonderfulness of sea salts and other fancy salts for seasoning. I won't be seeing that cute little Morton salt girl in my cupboard any more.

What food are you craving right now? 

I am in the mood for something really fresh and light.  Specifically a Greek salad.  Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, feta and a vinaigrette (EVOO, oregano, red wine vinegar).  Best Salad Ever.  Sadly, I am out of olives and feta.  *weeping*

Do you like to cook? If so, do you ever share recipes on your blog?  

I am a Domestic Goddess, and as everyone knows, a well-rounded Domestic Goddess likes to cook!  It helps that my husband is a human garbage disposal and will eat (and like) everything I cook.  Except that one dish (Coq Au Vin), as he often reminds me.  It's been a few weeks since I have posted a recipe, but you can find them sprinkled throughout my posts.  I also have a page dedicated to recipe links.

Where do you get the recipes you use? From cookbooks, blogs, online directories, etc?

I love using allrecipes.com to plug in random ingredients and find inspiration.  Next, I consult my trusty stash of vintage cookbooks.  Most are the church or community group style with simple recipes written by housewives past.  I also have been referencing The Good Houskeeping Illustrated Cookbook since I first moved out of my parents house back in 1998.  And of course, I read blogs!

What food-related word would you use to describe your blog? (i.e. salty, sweet, savory, delicious, yummy…) Get creative!

“A delight to the readers palette, served with grace and finesse.”
A small intimate blog which oozes passion. The entries were served with an exquisite attention to detail.
The writer was friendly and intimate and each dish was commensurate with the care and passion with which it was prepared.
I highly recommend this and hope you enjoy it too. 

OK, so I altered a fancy restaurant review to make it blog appropriate.  I can only hope my readers feel somewhat like this.  HA! (Editor's Note: LOVE it! Way to be inspired, Nina :))


The Adventures of Artsy Nina is where to go if you're on the lookout for inspiration or motivation or a nice laugh. This blog has an "old soul" feel to it that I love, and I know you'll love it, too, with all of its vintage charm and artsy appeal.  Oh, and before I leave you to do your own surfing of Artsy Nina, visit THIS PAGE for a look at one of the most beautiful rings ever, and yes, it's vintage. Next time my hubby proposes he's getting me a ring like that! Unique, vintage, and with a beautiful story behind it...a lot like Artsy Nina.

Linking Up!