Quiet Saturday in May

It is a quiet weekend around our house. Taryn is at her confirmation retreat in Pottsboro and even though when she is home she is never really 'home', her absence is very distinctly felt. We will be leaving in a few hours to make the trip to see her and share the special service they have arranged for all confirmands and their families, mentors, etc. We have planned to stop by the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Sherman on our way up for dinner. We love eating there and I really enjoy shopping in the general store!

I have spent the day on my laptop moving photos and trying to get them into folders and emptying memory cards so I can start all over. I've also printed a bunch of photos so I can start a book for my niece. I took all the girls to the American Girl Boutique and Bistro at the Galleria for Hannah's 4th birthday. It was sort of a way to do something special for her since I was not going to make it to the "Happiest Place on Earth" for her big birthday bash at the end of this month. Taryn is getting confirmed that weekend so there was no way I would be able to make it to Florida for her special day and since they were here I tried to do something special just for her! Aunties love to spoil their nieces! I let her choose which meal she wanted to have and she chose brunch over lunch. In the Bistro they very generously provide you with an American Girl doll, if you do not bring one/have one of your own, so they can share your meal with you. In fact, they even have their own 'doll' menu to look at. Very cute! We walked through the store staring in amazement at all the dolls, clothing and accessories displayed and stacked so neatly in the cubbies. They had dolls in glass cabinets that were adorned with every outfit and accessory imaginable and there was even a styling salon for the dolls to visit complete with real-life stylists and even a "style of the month" which went for a whopping $20! Stylists busy at work on the dolls for their Saturday morning updo.

Here's the style of the month that'll set you back $20 big ones!

This is the canvas that I did for Hannah during Easter. I really liked the way that it turned out and I am really enjoying working with canvas and my paints. I even very discretely put the nickname I have given her "stringbean" on this canvas, sort of how Thomas Kinkade does with his wife's name. I know, clever, huh?! I've struggled with 'letting go' and just doing whatever I feel at that point in time, letting my creativity guide me, but somewhere deep inside that perfectionist behavior sometimes wins. I keep reminding myself that there are no rules. I've gotten my pencil crayons (as they call them in Canada) to where I can finally get to them and even bring them with me wherever I go but have not had a chance to sit down and play. So far I feel that I'm doing well with managing my time and as the weeks progress I'm feeling more confident that the changes I've made will definitely enable me to find the time I've been searching for just for this very reason! I feel like I've accomplished more this week than I have in any given week over the past year and that makes me very happy!

Time to head out so I can get my run in and then home so I can shower and we can head North!
Life is good.