Stelie Designs

As I'm about to embark on my 41st birthday, I've been thinking a lot about "bucket lists" and how I don't have one and I've never had one.   bucket list is defined as: a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime or before one dies. In my 20's, I had plans for my 30's, I wanted a career I loved, to marry the love of my life and to have kids. Done, Done and overly DONE.  I've traveled a LOT in my life, I've had lots of experiences and personal achievements in 4 decades, some fabulous, some less than fabulous and some down right not good, but they all bring me to who I am today. While driving in the car alone one morning, I thought what would I add to a bucket list, I couldn't think of anything, I feel so happy and blessed, I have amazing family and friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, what more would I need? Later that night, I found this quote on ...

let's just say. i am so thankful for my busiest holiday season to date! i am so thankful & thrilled my business is thriving.  now with that said. being just me and no employees (although blessed with help from my mom & husband) it means i'm working days and nights, weekdays and weekends for almost 2 months.  which is fine except when one week before Paxton & Avery's school holiday party, i realize i haven't thought about their gift to their classmates.  {at their halloween party, when kids were handing out something to their classmates, my two little sweethearts with a touch of sadness turn to me and ask "mommy? do we have something to handout?" me "umm...no, sweethearts not this time." thankfully they were fine with my forgetfullness. i'm new at this whole school thing.} one week before we had one child with strep + one baby with a rash + another child not feeling well + all 4 with colds + snowstorms.  since, i wasn't feeling...

the past few weeks or months have been busy. crazy busy.  business and personally. steliewise. thank you to all my clients for making my business a growing success.   with increased orders come... longer production times [affecting new clients] little time to design new products. unless custom orders. loving weddings even more personally. my nephews are staying with my parents most of july. meaning we want to spend lots of time with them and less days of daycare for me.  and wanting more time with my kids before kindergarten starts.  plus. they are such a joy to be around. meaning late nights. early mornings. lots of coffee. plus we're moving. [post coming soon] with that comes designing a new kitchen. selecting paint colors. packing. getting our house ready for the market. moving. unpacking. therefore my blog posts will probably be... more photos than text. or maybe not. more kid related. {photographing, downloading, editing, takes time} mor...

Today went something like this... -4:00am wake up to crying hungry babies and the full fledged cold I've been able to hold off for the last 4 weeks that someone(s) in my family has/have had. -go back to sleep until Jer leaves at 6:45am [while I'm grateful, now I'm almost 2 hours behind in the day, aka no time for shower] -Take 4 kids out in the pouring rain for a much needed Target run. [while wishing we had an attached garage and my raincoat had a hood.] -Ran over my poor Mr. P with the enormous cart on our way out of Target after he tripped and I didn't know it because I couldn't see over baby A's carseat but wondered why the cart wouldn't move anymore. Proceeded to unwedge his foot from being caught in the grates at the bottom of the cart. He was crying a bit and asking why I didn't stop! Umm I didn't see you just didn't seem to cut it. Said he couldn't walk and wanted to sit, but the places for children to sit were now full of grocery bag...

I've been toying with the idea to sell my wall calendar [along with a few other items] in pdf form so one can print and cut themselves for less vs. paying for me to print, cut & mail. The thing is...I'm a control freak who wants to ensure each of my designs is executed in excellent quality that I have personally looked over, but I feel in order to grow my company, I have to give up some control. Right? What are your thoughts?

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I love it's efficiency but hate when it freezes, stalls, breaks. I have never felt the need to get the latest tech gadget. I don't own an ipod, mp3 player, flatscreen tv, blue ray, etc. I love having a cell phone, I've had one for as long as I can remember, my phone was strickly for talking. Talking A LOT to friends, family, & clients, prior to having kids and being a work at home mom. I hated when people would text me (since I didn't believe in texting and it wasn't part of my service plan) all I could think about was "I have to pay for this!" Last week, I finally broke down and bought the blackberry curve along with the upgraded service plan. I realized I needed the web capability in my hands to make my limited work time more efficient. As my stomach grows larger, the times of quickly running downstairs to my computer to check email are slipping away. Nothing is quick now. During their time...

Look what now sits in my garage! Yes, it's a minivan!!?!! Something I said I would never own! With 4 kids on the way, my Honda CRV wouldn't get us all home from the hospital, so practicality and economical choices took over and now a new Honda Odyssey is mine Never say never! 5 years ago I said I'd never move out of the city, but I quickly found I could get more house for the money in the suburbs, so I sacrificed and moved to a first tier suburb with the same area code at least. When the housing market strengthens we'll probably move to a much further souther suburb closer to my parents. Never say never! Growing up my mom always said she wished she'd had twins. Once in high school, I babysat for 6 month old twins and said I never want twins. Then I got twins. After P&A arrived I wouldn't have had it any other way. With another set due this summer, I guess I'm destined to carry and be a mother to twins. Never say never! (Now my mom will have 2...