Monthly Archives

February 2016

2 In Life

Random Neglect

Hi, it’s me.  I’m back.  I feel like I need to apologize!  Phew – really? It’s been how long since I wrote to you here??  I’m so sorry!

Want to hear my excuses?  No? Oh, well, too bad.  Here’s why I’ve been otherwise occupied:

  1. Coldest Night of the Year – locally we are walking for The LifeShelter and hope to raise $50,000!! Can you imagine being homeless in a Nova Scotian winter? No, me either.  So, I take on the role of Event Director and have the typical ups and downs of a role like that.  { If you’d like to donate, click HERE }

Coldest Night

2. We’ve been hit by a nasty flu bug that has wiped us all out.  I’m talking 2 weeks worth of coughing, fevers, no energy and for some of us, nose bleeds….always interesting when you’re 6 and have never had one before and you’re leaving a trail down the hallway….

Hannah

3. I’m being lazy and distractable.  Typically in the evenings is when I sit down to write, but lately by the end of the day, I just want to veg and do nothing.  So I curl up on the couch and watch TV with the handsome Mr. Byrne, usually falling asleep under a warm blanket….

4. I’m obsessed with looking at pottery on Pinterest.  I apologize to all who follow me on Pinterest and couldn’t care less about pottery.  I’ll write a post just about my lessons and obsession, I promise, I can’t wait to share all about it!

pottery

5. I’ve been writing for a few other spots, including the next issue of At Home on the North Shore and Stones Prestige Homes Blog, too.  It’s fun to write different things but still all home related.  I love being a decorator and involved in decorating….sigh….I so enjoy it.  And know what? People love to talk about their homes and the cool things in their homes and they love to show their homes.  And I soak that up!

12645029_957467967666698_6952146545594848535_n

6. Recently I was asked to present at our local campus of the NSCC about my blogging experience.  That was interesting and fun experience.  I’m so not techy and I know there’s so much more I could be doing to promote my blog and business in the big world of the internet, but I don’t know how and nor do I make it a priority to learn.  But, I’m hoping to make some changes in those regards.

7. I’m trying to make a few changes in how I run my business and provide services for my clients.  And that takes time and thought.  And phone calls….so many phone calls and schmoozing with people. Sigh.

8. I’m trying to do a better job of connecting with friends.  Coffee, not just FB conversations.  Real live interaction.  Meeting at coffee shops and chatting for far too long.  It’s fun.  I really enjoy it.  And I’m not going to stop.  It’s important to have real conversation in the world of social media.  It’s also really enjoyable to meet people and get to know them better, if you only know them from social media.

9. My clients need me and my attention to make their spaces awesome.  And I’m working on some really fun projects!  Hoping to share some over the next few weeks with you!  I think you’ll like it! 🙂

10. That’s it, I’m out of excuses.

I’m hoping to do a better job of blogging more regularly and keeping you all in the loop of what’s happening over here at Farm Fresh.

Until next time, hug your family, dust a shelf and straighten up that picture!

To be continued,

Lori

 

2 In Blogging/ Life

I Took 12

I don’t bathe.

Sounds bad, right?  We’ve lived in this house for about a year and half and I had not been in the tub.  I’m a grab-a-quick-shower-first-thing kinda girl.  I’m all about efficiently getting ready in the morning.  But when Pearl & Daisy asked if I would be interested in taking part in their #Take12 campaign, I knew it was time to slow down and crawl in the tub.

#take12

Life cruises by at such a rapid rate.  I’m always running here for this and there for that and I walk in the door at the end of the day and make sure everyone is feed and tucked into bed and then I crash myself.  After checking emails and FB messages and, of course, a little Instagram.  There’s an image floating around around social media of an empty cup, and it really hit home to me.  I’m so busy taking care of everything and everyone but me.

emptycup

Enter #Take12.  But, you know me….there’s always a way to make it better.  See, part of the thing is our bathroom isn’t pretty and it’s on our eventual renovation list.  It isn’t somewhere I want to hang out any longer than I need to.  I started to remedy that by giving it a good scrub from top to bottom.  A little sparkle, if you will.  Sigh.  That made it feel so much better!

#take12

The one good thing is this bathroom sports an old, original claw foot tub.  And you know you’ve seen all these wonderful shelves on Pinterest that span from side to side and keep everything within reach.  So, I made one out of an old barn board that I found in our little red barn.  Washed, sanded and sealed it was the perfect shelf!

We also only have a little wall space in there but I now have it decorated with a wooden whale to match the barn board shelf and a wonderfully hand-cut card by the talented Jennifer MacPherson from the Two Macs Gallery in Cape Breton.  I also hung my mobile in there, it suits the space very well with its empty glass jars and driftwood.  Plus, it hangs right over my head when I’m soaking in the tub.

#take12

It’s finally time to soak.  The girls are asleep, the handsome Mr. Byrne is watching TV and I finally have some time for me.  I ran a warm bath, lit some candles, put in some mineral salts that smell divine and climbed in.  I’ll admit my iphone made it in the bathroom with me, not so I could scroll through anything, just so I could check the time.  I don’t do well with just sitting.  I wasn’t sure if I could handle soaking, doing nothing, for 12. Whole. Minutes.

Two things I learned that night, soaking in that warm tub.  One – claw foot tubs are so comfy.  Two – I can do nothing for 12 minutes…..or much more!  Just laying there, letting the steam swirl around me in the quiet of the house was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.  To top it off, the silence was broken by a pack of near by coyotes howling.  I was tempted to open the window so I could hear them better, but that would require the effort of getting out of that luxuriously warm water and I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

When I climbed out of that tub that night, I promised myself to do that more often.  I am worth it.  My peace of mind and my health are worth it.  Sure, I’ll still grab a shower in the morning if I’ve got to run here, there and everywhere, but I will also take that time for me and ran a bath and soak in it.  I know in the upcoming days, as I train for my next race, there will be sore muscles that need a soak. I know there will be days that my mind needs a soak, a chance to slow down and relax.  And I promise to #Take12 for me, for the sake of my family since they have to put up with me. 😉

So, what about you?  Are you ready to #Take12? Why don’t you pop over HERE and commit to setting time aside JUST FOR YOU! Not only will you feel better for it, you may also win a pretty fabulous prize to keep you committed to #Take12 throughout the next year, too!

#take12

Now, the debate – run outside to capture the beauty of winter or go run a hot bath and block out the fact that it’s still winter out?!?!?

To be continued,

Lori