[Almost] Wordless Wednesday #5

This morning we went to a new breakfast place, La Septima. The food was both delicious and super cheap. Hutch paid for all of us and spent less than he would on just me and him. To celebrate our savings, we had Heath Bar Cheesecake.

We spent the later part of the morning at the Manatee Viewing Center in Brandon. It's some kind of power plant, but they are environmentally friendly and because of some scientific reason the water is warm. So in colder months the manatees come chill.

Because of the lack of winter we've had here in Florida, there were no manatees. But there were some cool crabs on the shore:

We spent most of the time in the small butterfly garden. I have a  list of flowers that attract butterflies in my handwritten journal for my own butterfly garden. Seeing this place just inspired me actually grow them this year. :)

I leave you with the only manatee we saw today:

Happy Wednesday!

Tutorial Tuesday - Pajama Pants

This project took three times as long as it should have. Two reasons: (1) Gaia was helping me and (2) I had some seriously retarded problems feeding the elastic through the waistband. It seem that every time I go to make a tutorial for you guys, even something I've done before (like these pajama pants) I have some kind of insane issue to deal with.

A note: I did not take very many measurements. I used a pair of pants that fit Miss Gaia as a pattern (you'll see) and so you'll have to modify your own version for whomever you're making them for. If they are for a grown man with a fly, well I don't have much advice. I did a pair for Hutch last week and I had to wing the fly. Because I forgot about the fly, I had to add material to the side seams. But if it's for a little boy then no fly should be necessary (forgive me if come off as completely ignorant as to when boys require flies - it's because I am).

Let's get on with this bad boy...
(Remember: clicking on the pictures will let you view them larger.)

Forward Momentum

It's Monday again and the husband is out of town again this week. It's another week where he's carpooling with someone else, so at least we have the car to go out and adventure around town. I'm sure I'll do something exciting along the way, but my craft to-do list is shorter this time because I have other things to do. I'll be making some pajama pants for Miss Gaia and posting a tutorial tomorrow. I also want to get started on her St. Patrick's Day outfit. I haven't decided if I want to make a dress or a skirt, but either way ruffles are involved. (I'm a bit obsessed with ruffles.)

via Pinterest

A majority of my week will be going through and filling out a 2-inch thick divorce packet. It's been a long time coming and honestly I thought the husband was already on it. Since May is fast approaching, I mentioned over the weekend that we needed to hurry because I didn't want to worry about having my husband and mine's credit linked when applying for housing. I mean yes it would benefit me as he has better credit than I do, but we're not together and honestly I'd rather start gaining my own credibility.

Some back story: My husband and I met when I was 17. I hated him at first and was like "no way" when he was basically obsessed with me. It took me a while to come around, and once I did we had a few good months. Then he cheated on me and broke up with me. I begged for him back, he came around. We argued constantly. He's a stoic and really "cold." I never really felt loved. I'm kind of needy... not in a suffocating way, but I need affection and I have to feel that love in my relationships. But I was in love with the boy and I kept fighting to have him in my life. I told all my friends I was going to marry him. We broke up again, this time for longer. We stopped speaking and I moved away.

I wound up going back to my home town temporarily on my way to move down to Sarasota to live with my father. During that time, after 6 months or so, Carlos wanted to hang and be friends. He said he missed me. We got back together and eventually he proposed. He went to college at UCF and I went to the Sarasota School of Massage Therapy. We were off and on after the move. The distance was difficult. It was his first time not living with his overbearing parents, and so he was enjoying his freedom. I had gotten to know Hutch early 2007, and by April I was almost done dealing with my then-boyfriend. I called to tell him it was over, and I'd no longer be visiting him. (We were still sleeping together.)

Hutch and I began dating, but a few days after we decided to be serious I found out I was pregnant. I had never expected this to happen as I had severe endometriosis and was told at 16 I would never have children. I panicked. I thought I was doing the logical thing by breaking up with Hutch and going back to Carlos to start a family.

We married when Gaia was 5 months old. We were kind of pressured into it by family and friends. Everyone was like "Okay guys, now what?" We had a beach wedding that was planned and arranged in two weeks time.

Just because we were married and had a child together did not mean we were in love. In retrospect, I don't believe he ever really truly loved me. Our ups have always been centered around sex and our downs have always been centered around me not being good enough to deserve his time. I'm biased in saying that, but that's how things felt on my end. I had had enough by Gaia's second birthday, and so when we returned home for the holidays in 2009 I met up with Hutch. We connected again so quickly and one thing led to another.

That summer I left Carlos. He got a new girlfriend. I had Hutch. Then when my husband and his girl split, he started saying he missed us, etc. So last summer Gaia & I came back. I really wanted this happy family thing. It was only a matter of days before realizing it wasn't going to work out. Nothing had changed. If nothing changes over a seven year battle, nothing is going to help. We agreed a divorce was in order.

So here I am, looking over this packet. Legal jargon up the bum, let me tell you.

via Pinterest

It's kind of a sad story, I guess. Hutch still gets sad talking/reading about it (sorry babe) because I've left him 3 times now trying to make this Carlos thing work out. But he's a peach for sticking by me and still investing his love into me.

Here's the plan: divorce, move, life. That's it. I try not to think about one aspect too much because I get overwhelmed easily. I'm really excited to finally move on though. I have a sense of peace and positivity for the future. I've spent most of my adult life thus far worried and stressed. I'm really excited to turn over this new leaf and claim my spot amongst the happy people. :)

What a rather long and revealing post...

Oh How Pinteresting!

I love Pinterest. I think it's kind of addicting sure. I admit I don't get on all the time because my board doesn't really fill up every day. Maybe I just need to follow more people? Follow me and I will follow you back! Pinterest Pals!

Here are some of my favorite recent pins:

Two ingredients for delicious banana ice cream!

Source: theperfectpearpair.blogspot.com via Sharisse 'Shary' on Pinterest

Frozen Lake Erie:

Source: daintysquid.blogspot.com via Sharisse 'Shary' on Pinterest

Bouquet of Kittens!!!

Source: funz.eu via Sharisse 'Shary' on Pinterest

Cute gutter garden!

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Sharisse 'Shary' on Pinterest

Tutorial for adorable shorts...

Source: coletterie.com via Sharisse 'Shary' on Pinterest

I'm obsessed with "Up" and this made me squeal!

Source: youtube.com via Sharisse 'Shary' on Pinterest

Three of the six pins above were created by me because I pin things all the time when reading blogs and surfing the web. :)

I hope everyone has a fabulous Pinteresting Monday!

5 Things I'm Grateful For - Week 2

I'm joining Kim at Mommie Again and posting 5 things I am grateful for for 9 weeks. Feel free to join us! Here is week 2:

1. Education. The availability of knowledge is truly fantastic.
2. Netflix. Without our instaplay our house would be so hectic. Since we don't have cable, it's nice to sit down and settle without worrying about unwanted commercials.
3. Air conditioning. Florida is so hot. I have this "12 days of winter-everything else summer" crap.
4. The few friends I have. I can tell that the ones I've kept are awesome. It's not hard to relize when someone really loves you.
5. Blog comments. It's nice to know that there is someone reading my nonsense and cares about what I have to say.

Birthday recap.

My birthday didn't go exactly as planned, but it was fun anyhow.

First of all, it was a lovely day. I live down the road from an IHOP and I originally assumed that National Pancake Day was on my birthday again as it had been for the last few years. Since discovering it wasn't, I signed up for the Pancake Revolution so I could still get my free breakfast. We were going to walk, but the wind hadn't picked up yet when we headed out so we drove.

After all the delicious carbs I needed a nap. And because Hutch was here to play with Gaia I got one. A rarity in this house, and very appreciated. Then I woke up at 1:30 so we could go catch The Secret World of Arrietty.

The movie was adorable. I really loved Ponyo and Howl's Moving Castle is another one of my faves. I'm actually not a big fan of anime, but Hayao Miyazaki holds a special place in my heart.


After the movie we came home. Melissa texted me letting me know she'd gotten sick and wouldn't be making the drive for my B-day dinner & drinks, so Hutch parked with Miss Gaia and I cleaned the house. I met up with them at the park when I was done, and then we snuggled and watched some Wonder Pets. Hutch headed home around 7. I sewed a bit, then when Gaia's dad got home I headed to Panera and ordered my favorite: Broccoli & Cheddar soup in a bread bowl. I then spent two hours writing out essay answers from my study guide until I could no longer spell correctly. Came home, played some video games with my new headset, and passed out.


I got tons of mail yesterday, too. I finally got my Zoya matte black polish and today I painted my nails while getting the transmission fluid flush on my husband's car.

Yes we have PVC pipe laying around.

This is what happened though: I was lusting over this polish because I really loved this look Chloe did with her matte black. She used her topcoat for the tips, but I decided I was going to use my Sinful Colors glittery black for my tips. When I did them they looked fabulous! I should have taken a picture then...


Anyhow, so I waited an hour or two and then I decided "they're totally dry enough to play with snaps." It was my first time making boys' lounge pants and since I still don't know how to make button holes I decided a snap would do just as well for the front closure part. So I get the first half on perfect. Horray! Then I double check to make sure I grabbed the matching back piece, but the snap is too secure so I have to dig my nails into the snap to pull it off. No bueno. The tips of my pretty nails were still gooey and so I ruined them. *Cry cry.*


I'm one of those people that's too impatient to start over when I mess up my nails, so I just redid the tips and now they're a bit clunky looking. Oh well. I know I can do it now so I'll try again some other time. If I feel like I can't wear them in public tomorrow, I'll just slap on some Fairy Dust before class. (Glitter solves everything.)

Humanities Day - Friends' Spotlight

I am not very artistic in the classical sense. I actually used to paint as a child, even won a few contests. I stopped though, because my talent was not appreciated by someone very dear to me and so I didn't feel a  need to continue or advance my technique. Now all my art is in the form of doodles. I guess I do have a crafty talent, but even those creations are far from professional. No dwelling though! My life is fabulous as it is and those experiences made me the person I am today!

So, these are just a few of the paintings I ave acquired from friends...

From left to right: Halley Barrett, Melissa Summers, Johnnie Sebastian, Ashley Stiller.

Halley Barret is one of my besties. She's younger than me, but our relationship pre-dates the point where age mattered. Since I had Gaia our lives have become too different to hang as much as we used to, but we still love each other very much and I'm sure that if I needed anything she'd be there for me (as I would do the same for her). Her bachelorettehood has been stagnant for the last few years as she is madly in love with a fellow painter. Halley and Poppy live in Pensacola, Florida together living the artist's dream (except the part where you make money from it, because that's not how reality works). This piece was a birthday present for me last year. I had been bugging her for one because I had all these paintings from people I'd known for way shorter periods of time. So she created this lovely complex canvas of curves. I love it.

Melissa Summers is a wonderful free-spirited lady I met in Sarasota, Florida where my father lives. She has also become one of my best friends and her talent is very unique and beautiful. I love her art because she always mixes mediums and creates dimension. This is actually a piece I rescued. She had made if for some guy named Charlie (his name is on the back) when she lived in Portland, but he disappeared before she moved. I loved the electricity in it and so I snagged it up before she donated it to Goodwill. Below is one she custom made for me when I had Gaia:

It's Gaia, the Greek Titan in mythology from which my daughter was named. (When I was pregnant I had a mother earth complex, in case you haven't figured it out.) This one is much smaller, but actually is one of my favorites.

This one is by Johnnie, who is Katrina's lover. (This is from his Facebook because the original I have is framed and the glass was giving me flash-related problems.) He gave it to me in exchange for my services in the birth of Jalina. I thought it was a fair trade, and totally awesome because I helped them have a beautiful birth experience (Katrina was one of my first clients as a doula) and he then gifted me with a reminder of how true love can entangle two souls. His style is unique and mostly draws women, but this one is actually a representation of him and Katrina among the maze of trials that love leads us through.

Ashley Stiller (You like that screwed up spelling of her name in the photo? Yeah I'm pro..) and I are not really good friends. We've met twice in real life? We have tons of mutual friends though and our friendship has mostly blossomed on Facebook, as sad as that sounds. Anyhow, I "bought" this painting from her last year when she was doing a personal drive for the local women's shelters in my hometown. Although Ashley's style can be viewed as simplistic, it's actually loaded with detailed textures and color gradients. Here's another one she did recently I've staked a claim on:

You can check out more of Ashley's stuff for sale (at reasonable prices) in her Etsy store, Fancy Sauce.

None of my other artist friends have websites up yet. I didn't even really pay attention until I started making this post. Weird. If you really like any of the work mentioned above, send me and email and I will forward it to the appropriate painter. :)

I hope you enjoyed this humanities day! I took my test this morning and although I'm sure it's not an A I was surprised at how much I actually got done last night. When I started writing my essays information just flew from my brain onto the paper. It was definitely awesome knowing more than I assumed. :)

I'm offically 25!

For my birthday I made Shirley Temple Cupcakes (inspired by Pinterest, of course). They are delicious!

We ate the others before they cooled for frosting.
I actually love this recipe because it's already for 12; normally I have to cut recipes in half!

Hutch didn't actually help, he's just in charge of keeping me company in the kitchen while I make things. :)

One of my besties is coming over from Sarasota to celebrate. Nothing huge, just dinner and drinks. I wish all my besties could be here, but alas, they are scattered across the states. It should be fun though. I have to call it an early night though; I have a test Saturday morning at 10 am.

If you would like to wish me a happy birthday, consider swapping sponsor spots for March. I would love to get to know some more bloggers, and this way we can both get new kinds of exposure!

Humanities Day is going to be me showing of my friends' mad skillz by spotlighting some of the personal artwork I normally have displayed in my home. Later this week I'll share a tutorial on how I made the easiest pajama pants for my daughter. It sounds exciting because it is. :)

Have a great weekend!

March Sponsor Swap

Can you believe that February is nearly over and March is already approaching? I just hope to accomplish even more next month. The positive energy is really helping my outlook on life, and I am so ready to keep it up and continue challenging myself.

That being said, I want to get my butt in gear with this blog networking business. I don't think we're ready yet to start charging or anything, so I'm going to follow the lead of Crissy @ A Lil' Dash of Diva and do a sponsor swap! It's easy really...

We swap buttons and place them under the "sponsors" section in our sidebars. That's it! I will also do a  sponsor spotlight on the first Sunday of each month. If you would like, you can also do one guest post or giveaway promoting your Etsy store on my blog during the month of March. I will help promote your blog on Twitter and Facebook by mentioning your posts throughout the month. At the end of the month, I will email you personally inviting you to keep swapping through April. Your button will remain on my blog as long as mine remains on yours.

Don't have a blog? If you would like to instead promote your Etsy shop or Facebook fan page for your crafts I would love to put your button on my sidebar. In return all that I ask is that you offer a giveaway on my blog in the month of March or have a coupon code that I can give to my readers that is valid for the entire month. Easy peasy, right?

So what do you think? Leave a comment here or email me sharylove [@] gmail.com if you're interested and I'll start getting those buttons up!