Once upon a time: Background of a Shopaholic

Today is the first post of a 2 week series here at Rock-A-Bow. Don't let the title fool you, this is not going to be your typical fashionista, shop at Bloomies blog series. Oh no, this series is going to be how I, a once upon a time shopaholic, survives in the world of Dave Ramsey and debt snowball goodness.

For this post, I just want to give you a little background. I'm not afraid to say it, as a kid/teen I was a spoiled little daddy's girl. (Notice I didn't say spoiled brat, those would be my siblings, who will probably read my blog for the first time today haha). My parents did not go as far as handing me a credit card or anything but let's just say I didn't want for ANYTHING. You have seen these big eyes, right? They worked like a charm everytime. My mom hated that by the way.

Anyway, I loved to shop and still do. I shopped for fun, I shopped to socialize, I shopped to fill the time and I shopped to ease pain. Oh yes, depression shopping is the best kind. Nothing better to ease pain than a new outfit.

So why the budget? Well, I got married and had some kids. Money doesn't grow on tress, ya know? So hubby and I got ourselves into a little bit of debt. Not because of my shopping, I know what you are thinking... no it was all just circumstances. So we have begun budgeting and watching our debt disappear. It has been wonderful. Easy? Not even close. It is so worth it though.

Now to the point. In the next two weeks I want to give you a little bit of insight into my world. I will not be sharing our budget plan, that's for you to figure out. Here is what I will be sharing with you. Titles and everything. Look at me go! Let's just hope once I share with you I don't get writers block haha.

Week 1:
Once upon a time: Background of a Shopaholic
Everyday: Developing a new Vocabulary
Clothing: Quality vs Quantity
Grocery Shopping: Making a Day of it
Clothing: Up-fashioning; A tutorial

Week 2:
Off- Gotta save room for I {Heart}____Mondays
Discount Stores
My Fear of Coupons
Mommy's Got a Weakness

I {Heart} _____ Mondays #2

Are you all ready for some amazingness? Good because this weeks list has me drooling and wishing and hoping! Beware though you may just be hooked on some of these babies!

Since I am starving and my daughter won't move off my lap so I can whip up some breakfast let's start off with the drool worthy. Chicken Fried steak over at The Pioneer Woman. I love me some Chicken Fried Steak. I prefer mine for breakfast with some eggs but ummm check out this plate. Is your stomach growling yet?

Next is this Ah-dorable Camera Strap cover by Shey B. Now Shey has a ton of super cute straps BUT this one came for me in the mail this weekend so Im over the top in love with it. So cute and comfy too!

Now this, doesn't it make you want to decorate for St. Patricks Day? Ya, me too! We don't decorate for much around here but maybe I can convince the hubby we should start. Any suggest
And now, for my favorite! Check this beauty out! This would look so cute on my desk. Especially being so bright. (I am creating a dream studio for myself as we speak). Plus hubby and I are pretty much the perfect pair hehe. So if you don't mind can you all direct him to the link below? Please and thank you!

Don't forget you can find all of these items and their shops by clicking the images!

Just an honest rant

By tonight... I am referring to last night. I chickened out and didn't post this. A friend encouraged me to post it now.

Tonight there have been quite a few blog posts. Posts where people decided to just be honest about their feelings about handmade community and the blog world.

A few of these blogs really spoke to me. In fact I joked with my friend Nicole and said that she had wrote hers for me because she really hit just how I was feeling in that moment.

I have really been struggling with putting myself out there in the blog and handmade world. I am an introvert to the extreme. Being rejected is my number 1 fear and every single day whether it be on my blog or on twitter, I feel rejected. As Nicole mentioned in her post, for all I know people just may not have a response or anything to say but I just feel like it is so cliquey and I am so not in that clique!

I love the people I have met through social networks and blogs. I am also really looking forward to meeting some of them in real life at some upcoming conferences (I am also terrified).

However, I hate the constant feeling of "what do I have to do to make these women like me". How childish do I sound saying that? It is true though. I want so badly to be liked, not for how many followers I have or what items I giveaway but simply for who I am.

I want my blog to be a place for people to come and get to know ME and the things i love. I want twitter to be a place for me and my old and new friends to chat. Right now, it just doesn't feel like that. Right now, it feels like a place where I am constantly trying to keep up. That is not what I want or need for myself.

I am strongly considering taking a break from twitter and maybe my blog as well. Something to pray about. For now, I must sleep. Goodnight and sorry about the rant.

Half Birthday, What?

Woah, Woah, Woah...half birthday? 6 months old already? This is all happening to fast. My baby is going and growing up on me. I remember with Rhiannon, my first, time flew but it was nothing like this. Is that normal? The second grows up faster? Maybe, I'm just more distracted having two? I mean I don't actually believe that in the recent years time has in fact sped up. However, this boy seems to be entering into childhood and out of babydom all too quickly. Yes, I realize I am making words up. You would too if you were realizing your time as a mommy to a newborn was long gone.

Not only is he already celebrating a half birthday, he is doing so much.

-Rolling all over the place, including right off the couch =(
-Actually playing with toys
-Talking up a storm, or babbling whatevs
-Smiling constantly, like seriously none stop, even when he cries
-Scootin' like a mad man, although he is stuck in reverse
-Pulling himself up on all fours
-Cutting his first two teeth

And so much more. STOP THE INSANITY. Someone tell my children to stay little forever!

Just a minute...

I am currently reading and studying the book "Ministry of Motherhood" with some of my mommy friends. Last night we had our monthly meeting to discuss the topic of our children modeling our behavior was brought up. Many of the women mentioned things that their children say that they know they picked up from them. Not bad words or anything, just things that are said out of habit. Or maybe, they are bad words in a sense? I can bring up this topic discussed because I have fallen into this habit and have heard the bad words come from my little's mouth. "Just a minute".

"Just a minute" is not a horrible thing to say, it's not a mean thing to say at all. The problem is that we say it so much that our young children have picked up on it. Saying it on occasion, no big deal. We get busy and sometimes it is good for our children, or us, to wait. Saying it enough for a two year old to repeat? Not so harmless.

Let's compare our relationship with our children to our relationship with our Heavenly Father for just a second. I mean, that is who we are to model ourselves after.

What would happen if everyday, you went to the Father and His response was "Just a minute"? Now, I am not talking about waiting for an answer to prayer, He is still listening when He makes us wait. I am talking about the initial "Dear God..." and He responds "Just a minute, I'm on the phone or working or doing the dishes" or whatever it may be. How loved do you feel?

Ouch! Did I just say that? Did I really just think I would feel unloved if my Father told me the simple words "Just a minute"? I did. I would feel so hurt and unloved. Is that how I am making my little ones feel? Possibly. Gut-wrenching, right?

My children are the center of my whole world. Am I making them feel that way? Or am I making them think that sewing up this last thing is worth more to me? Do they even know the difference? I don't know. Do I want to risk it? NO WAY.

"Just a minute" is now a cuss word in my home. I'm not trying to tell you all that if you have told your child to hold on a second, you are surely a horrible mother. That is not my intent at all. I think we all just need to step back for a moment and think of what we make our children feel when we are often putting them off for even just a minute.

One of the women put it best last night when she said she was full of "mommy guilt". Now, it was not that she was doing anything wrong. Or that any of us were. Just simply that we want everything to be perfect for our little ones. Will we ever be perfect? No. Should we strive for it? Yes, let's model Christ. Join me will you?

Let's all boycott "Just a minute"!

I {Heart} ____ Mondays

I have been oogling over all kinds of handmade and bloggy goodness lately, so, I thought I would share it with you all. Say, once a week? Let's just go ahead and make it a series. I {heart}____ Mondays. Not to be confused with I heart mondays... because surely I do not!!!

First up, Olive Blue's Baby Leg Warmers. Nicole at Olive Blue (a good friend btw) totally kicks butt. As do her baby leg warmers. Rhiannon has a pair of gray and white stripes. ADORE them!

Sew Chatty has changed up her look and now does a canvas with designer fabric accent. I already loved the look but the other day she added these bags to the shop. I die!


I have been searching the web for owl stuff. One of my closest friends has a lil girl turning one and having an owl party, not long after we are throwing another great friends Owl themed baby shower. I stumbled upon these. Why did I not find them before I had my two littles?


And then...the other day, these babies popped up in my twitter feed. I think Eclectic Whatnot shared them. She has been posting lots of tempting yummys BUT nothing like this Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes? Oh My!

Also, not to toot my own horn or self promote but have you seen my new Artfolios? Adorable and so much fun. One is part of a giveaway over at Sew Chatty right now, in case you missed the memo!

(Click on any of the images to go look at these lovelies yourself)

New Shop

Remember this post? You know, the one about all the changes happening at Rock-A-Bow? Well, the time has come. There is a new look to the blog as you can see and...wait for it...the Big Cartel Shop is...OPEN!!! Check it!

There are so many new things I want to share with you. Instead of listing them all here, I'm simply going to recommend that you go check it out. You know what else you should check out? Sew Chatty's blog, Rock-A-Bow is being featured over there as we speak AND there is an awesome giveaway that you are not going to want to miss. Trust. Hang around over there for a while. Elizabeth at Sew Chatty, yeah, pretty much awesome!

So friends, have fun viewing the shop and the feature. Be sure to keep checking back, I'm not done with the new product releases yet. You will not be disappointed.