I will never forget this day as long as I live..December 26, 2009, Downtown Chicago. My precious sister in law, Tracy, graciously offered to be our tour guide for a few days of shopping and glorious food in Chicago. I am so thankful to her for taking the time away from her work and her family to spend it with us in this beautiful, snow covered city. She actually took a vacation day to be with us! Thank you Tracy!

I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful...the snow fell all day as we strolled in and out of the magnificent stores on Michigan Avenue. I could hardly believe my eyes...the snow was falling in the most graceful way and my girls were giddy with excitement and their eyes sparkled with the magic of the day. Many treasures were found along the way, but none held the magic of the snow.

Cheers to grand adventures and moments that last a lifetime!
 

Well, let's see. My BIO.I am first and foremost, a mother of four amazing children and wife to the most amazing man in the world! I am enormously blessed. Honestly, my kids are the most amazing people I have ever met. Each with a personality all their own and character that stretches far beyond their years. They are simply...beautiful. As a parent, when your children become your teacher...you have arrived. It all comes back and you know that all of those years of nurturing and teaching and crying and patiently waiting have made a difference. I am so honored to be their Mom.And my husband, Wow! I hardly have words to express how much he means to me. He is our center.And he is so strong and with seemingly so little effort. Fact is, he works enormously hard for us and pushes himself to heights that are unimaginable for most. I am in awe of him everyday. He is my one True Love and my best friend. I am so blessed to be in his arms. So, who am I....BLESSED beyond measure and spending what time I have left over everyday to tinker in the talents God has given me. I have an uncanny knack for pulling things together. My Mom used to say "You could put on a potato sack and make it look good!". And true to that, I enjoy making everything "look good" no matter what it is. Interiors, exteriors, clothing, crafts, cakes, parties. So...who am I...on paper, I am an Interior Designer with a Bachelors Degree of Fine Arts with a minor in Architecture from the University of North Texas. Graduated in 1987 and began working in the Hospitality field as a Hotel Designer. Worked until I began having children, then stayed home to enjoy raising them. Loved every minute of it although it was and still is the hardest job I have ever done. Owned an award-winning restaurant/boutique(that's another long story) for about 6 years which just about killed me physically and mentally. Have now taken two years off to recoup and am finding myself again in this blog. There. How's that for now.

 
WOW! I am star-struck! I was honored to meet the wonderful Patience Brewster while shopping at Dallas Market Center today. She is lovely and so very talented. Visit her on her website www.patiencebrewster.com You will love her Krinkles ornaments, beautiful cards and whimsical figurines...check out the pig posing with us! Isnt he adorable! Thank you Patience for taking time to pose with me, it was such a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to having your things in my store very soon! Look for Krinkles in my store next Holiday season!

For the past few years, I have been creating these lovely cards. I am so pleased with myself when I complete one, its like baking and decorating a cake for the first time...so empowering, I love it! When we allow ourselves to be still and listen to our inner voice we open ourselves to a whole new world. One of unlimited creativity and talent that we didnt know we had.

I have accumulated quite a stash of these beautiful cards and have recently placed them in a few local shops with much success. Now, I would like to make them available to you. I will be posting a few pics today and then attempting to get them onto Etsy this evening...wish me luck!

Please take a peek and see what you think. Would love your feedback too! Thanks again for visiting with me each day. Sincerely, Kim

 

Recently, I joined the world of Facebook. After many years of urging by my family to join them, I finally gave in. I had really never had the desire to be a Facebook groupie, the entire idea seemed pointless and a waste of time. After all, personal time with four teenagers around is hard to come by and why would I waste it on Facebook when I could be doing so many other things. At least that was the way I justified my lack of interest in Facebook. The truth, if I am really being honest, is that I was afraid I would get hate mail from high school. Not that I really would but you know what I mean. High school is tough and you just do things that you shouldnt and you say things you shouldnt and man oh man there are so many things you wish you could take back. Looking back haunted me and I just didnt want to set myself up for rejection. After all, didnt we get enough of that in high school?

I was the popular one, the pretty one, the head cheerleader and always had the great guy. I was happy and had great friends but was never confident and never understood my popularity. I mistakenly thought it had something to do with my outer beauty because it couldnt be me that everyone liked, could it? I mean, I made so many mistakes and had taken people for granted and so on and so on(typical teenager). I went on for years thinking that I was "pretty" and defined myself by my appearance. What I found out later in life is that defining yourself by outer beauty is forever empty and very misleading.

I have always heard that our forties are the age of self discovery. True for me at least. I have learned so much about myself in the past 6 years.It's like I am finally seeing who I really am, looking past the aging woman in the mirror. Embracing the sagging boobs and spare tire that has attached itself to my abs and the cellulite on my butt and legs that will not go away. And through Facebook, I have learned that friends really saw more than my hair and pretty skin and cute little butt.(I really DID(past tense) have a cute butt). They really did see the kind and generous and funny side of me in spite of all of my mistakes.

So, I have to say that I LOVE Facebook and I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I never thought it would be a place I cherished friendships and actually enjoyed myself. So, hats off to you, whomever created Facebook, thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. For giving us back the people we used to be and still hope to be. And thank you too, to my friends and family who nagged me for years to be a groupie, I will forever owe you big time! And most of all, thank you to those from my past with whom I have reconnected. Thank you for always loving me as I was, for forgiving my many mistakes and appreciating my inner beauty as well as the outer stuff. Thank you for reaching out to me and remembering who we were...you are truly a blessing. 

Its amazing, when you stop and listen, what you can really hear....In the quiet today I heard my voice. the one true me, the one who believes in myself and is confident and bold and fearless. I thought she was missing...it appears she was hiding beneath my self doubt. Self doubt and fear can be so destructive to our inner beauty not to mention what it does to our confidence. It can shatter it if we let it...dont let it. Embrace the beauty of yourself and the gifts you have been given. Give glory to your creator for who you are and be thankful that you are quirky and weird and unlike those around you...this is a blessing, this is you...embrace yourself, give yourself a hug...you deserve it. Put on your happy shoes and have a great day!

Still wondering, still waiting...still searching. Who is this person I see in the mirror? Where is the person that God created me to be...the creative, fearless, confident woman? I thought I knew but lately I look in the mirror and dont know who is looking back. I am really happy too, but, I cant make a decision to save my life. I feel uncertain of what to do, where to do it and why. Could it be my life is changing? Here we go again....

For the past 18 years, I have been raising four wonderful kids. So much fun, so many trips to the zoo with the school. I cant begin to count how many times I have been on that field trip or been a Room Mom or Field Day attendant...oh the memories. Love them all so much.

Fast forward eighteen years and here I am with absolutely no field trips to attend, no field days in which to participate and longing for a trip to the zoo(not really, lol). But, you get the idea...what the heck am I supposed to be doing now? Prior to children I worked 14 hour days designing Hotel interiors and loved every minute of it! No way I could go there again, nothing would be the same. So, I float from project to project, idea to idea trying to "find" myself. Havent I already done that? You would think!

It's so frustrating not to know this person I have become. I keep taking steps like the old me would have done...big risky ones, and then this cautious Mom person keeps pulling on the reigns. What the heck! How have I become soooo cautious and predictable? I dont like this new me or whomever this is!

I want the old me back, the one with no fear, no inhibitions, no caution lights! I want to take a chance again on something...on me. Ever feel this way? Surely I am not the only one...surely this is normal, right? Is this that "empty nest thing"? 

 

My happy shoes....I love wearing them. They just make me happy. Most of the time I wear them when I am doing something I enjoy...like estate sales, lazy shopping @ Target, making my handstamped cards.I love to put them on...my toes get happy and a smile comes across my face. Crazy right?

Anything make you feel that way? I would love to hear about it! Tell me what makes you feel creative, relaxed and confident. Cant wait to hear from you!

Check us out on www.thebunnybungalow.com  The inspirational Annie has captured my booth at Marburger Farm beautifully! I was so excited to see that she had visited the booth and taken so many wonderful pictures. Go to site, then go to Search our site by google and enter Marburger Farm in the Fall. That will pull up past posts and the second one listed should be it. It will have the above name and October 2, 2009 listed. Click it and scroll through her wonderful photos of the show. The French Pear(my original show name) is about half way down. So wonderful to know that the work that I am doing is making someone else happy! She describes The French Pear as "Melt Your Heart Magic". I am truly touched. Check it out and leave a comment about what you think.

  
King Charles Nicolas Hoegger, lovingly referred to as "Nick" my adorable, regal Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is regal at best and melts you with his big, brown puppy eyes. He is extremely intelligent(except when he forgets to go outside to potty). And until my husband decided to get involved, he was very calm. My husband decided to teach him to play "ball" and Nick has never been the same! He is hyper now at the site of a ball or the mere mention of it! No more the calm, regal, lap puppy that I had dreamed of for years...nope, now he runs in circles and jumps over the sofa and chews up shoes(ok, I guess that's not my husband's fault), he even leaps into the air to catch the ball being thrown across the room. He is ridiculously crazy for the game of ball. However...he is also very precious and excited to see me no matter what(even after he gets scolded for doing his business on my new rug). He sleeps as near to me as he can get when I am watching T.V., sometimes right on my head as he lays across the back of the sofa. He loves to ride with me to take the kids to school and barks at the crossing guard, I dont know why. Could it be the bright, neon yellow parka? All in all, he is a dream come true and so much fun. We all love Mr. Nick(except when he barks ferociously at everyone who enters our home and attempts to bite their legs). We know he is only protecting us. Needless to say, he is the King of the Castle

Good Morning Friends,
Ahhh...coffee. Some mornings there is just nothing like a warm cup of coffee with a few moments of stolen silence in my home. My precious angels sleep, my dear husband is off to work, and I sit quietly enjoying the peace of utter silence.

I am at a crossroads in my life. I am 46 years young and find myself with a housefull of young adults. In the past year, my husband and I have stumbled upon the unusual occasion that we are alone in our home. It happens more and more as our precious children are growing up. Becoming more and more independent and very busy socially. You suddenly find yourself in a very weird place...a strangely happy place, but, nonetheless weird. It can be lonely as you discover no one really needs you anymore for those silly little things like "hey, Mom, can you help me with this". You find that your children are not children anymore, they are half-grown and really dont want you doing much for them anymore. I remind myself that this is a testament to my good parenting skills as I have taught them well to be independent...did I mean to teach them so well?

I am truly blessed to have four beautiful, healthy children. They are each one different in their own way. Each one amazing in their perception of life. Each one amazing in their walk with Christ and each one amazing in the way they treat others. They are the strongest, most incredibly giving people that I know. I am in awe of them. I am honored to be their Mom and even more honored to know them as people. They are true leaders and role models for Christ. And...they give the most incredible hugs! Thank goodness this is something they continue to give even as they are growing up...I like to think they need them as much as I do!

When you begin to learn from your children, when they begin to teach you and give you new perspective on life...that is when you realize that you have done something right as a parent. When you hear the lessons you have taught coming back to you, you realize what leaders you have helped to mold. WOW...I am so honored to be their Mom and their friend.

I am also thankful for the utter silence in the wee hours of the morning with my coffee and for the ever increasing alone time with my wonderful husband. It is in these moments that I can appreciate who my children have become and dream of who they are aspiring to be. I am truly blessed.

What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance...What higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?

There are four steps to accomplishment:

Plan Purposefully

Prepare Prayerfully

Proceed Positively

Pursue Persistantly

CURLY GIRL DESIGN....WoW! What a day I am having at the Dallas Market Center! Two great artists in one day...I am surely blessed. Leigh Standley, the talent behind her amazing company, CurlyGirlDesign, was such a pleasure to meet! She was so candid and funny and delighted to be with her biggest fans. You will love her designs..check out her website www.curlygirldesign.com It is inspiring as she is so very talented! 

On December 26, my sister in law, Tracy, escorted my daughters and I to Chicago for an "After-Christmas" shopping spree. The weather was terrible(at least to my sister in law who lives in the area). It was snowing so hard we could barely see. To us Texans, it was simply beautiful. We walked up and down Michigan Ave. with bags(and bags and bags) in hand and snowflakes in our hair. My daughters even stopped along the way to open their mouths to catch the snowflakes.(I know, gross.) What is it about falling snow that makes kids want to do that? I dont think I need to mention that we were very obviously tourists! We didnt mind the stares at all...we had the most amazing time! We stayed in the Westin which is located right on Mich Ave. How lucky can you get right? When you cant carry any more bags, you simply take them back to the room and start again! So much fun and such amazing, unbelievable deals!

Along the way, I found myself in a quaint kitchen store with all kinds of neat gadgets. Displayed near the register were adorable cocktail napkins. I totally related to the quips on each and couldnt decide which made me happier, so I bought one of each. Today, I met the artist who designed them!!!!! Leigh Standley. I was enamered to actually meet her...her work is so inspiring and makes you feel so empowered. Check out the pics below of a few of my favorite napkins and check out her website for a peek at more of her treasures and where you can find them locally.

 
WOW! I am star-struck! I was honored to meet the wonderful Patience Brewster while shopping at Dallas Market Center today. She is lovely and so very talented. Visit her on her website www.patiencebrewster.com You will love her Krinkles ornaments, beautiful cards and whimsical figurines...check out the pig posing with us! Isnt he adorable! Thank you Patience for taking time to pose with me, it was such a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to having your things in my store very soon! Look for Krinkles in my store next Holiday season!

Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it - because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim His truth.
1 Corinthians 14:1 Open your hands to what God has already given you...say yes to the dream that hides inside of you...it's worth the journey to reach the place that is designed especially for you...it is where you were meant to be and where you will be your best "You".

Spring is coming and the Marburger Farm Spring Show is just around the corner! I hope you are as excited as I am...I can hardly wait to see what treasures await. Sneak Peek coming soon...stay tuned!

Essential Rubbish...
Enjoy the pics from the Marburger Show in October! It was an amazing time and I was honored to have my sister Karen work with me this show. We had such a great time! This is a pic of Karen, and Mom dressed in their best for the Junk Gypsy Prom...if you havent experienced it, you need to, its a blast!

Flea Market Treasures

I love the flea market. The thrill of the hunt is like nothing else. I love finding that very special something that you didn't even know you were looking for...but, when you have found it, you knew you were looking for it. Know what I mean? It's rather unexplainable as is the desire to acquire old things. But, once you have the bug...you're in for good. You just cant walk away from the treasures that await.

Fun too are the vendors that you meet while shopping these flea markets. Wow, you have never met such a group. Doctors, lawyers, people from all walks of life, spending their spare time collecting and selling what some call junk. Most would gasp at the term. Because the old saying "one man's junk is another one's treasure" is soooo true! Most of these collectors are not above digging threw someone else's trash. And most have a story or two boasting of that amazing treasure found "in the trash". How about that lady recently who found a painting some 15 years ago in her neighbors trash and it turned out that it was worth over $100,000.00! That's worth diving for!