In Limbo

Not really sure how to title this post. Bare with me..........

I am in a bit of a quandary right now. My daughter is heading to kindergarten and I have planned to go back to work when that happened. Truly I didn't plan to be off work as long as I have. We adopted my precious M, she came to us only two days old. She was precious, pure, sweet and simply perfect. I thought I would take off a year and head back to work. One year turned in to two and three and so on. I couldn't bare not to be there with her every single day. I dreamed of becoming a mother for years and she finally came to me. Things change. Plans change. I have adored being a stay at home mom and would not trade one single day of being home, monotonous days, cleaning, playing peek-a-boo, crafting, play dates, baking together, kissing boo boos, building blocks, watching Noggin, wiping tears, and loving this little one beyond compare. I've never felt anything like it.



She goes to kindergarten in two weeks and, as she'll be gone for six hours a day, I feel it's time to find "me" again. My previous career was in wireless phones. A thankless, challenging, long hours, stressful world. I could probably go back with little problem, but I have bigger dreams. My dream has been to open my own business. I had a dream of a business, an idea! A great idea. Most of you already know, I live in a small town. Recently I found that my great idea wasn't mine alone and I came across this business that was my "idea". It's a great little business and idea. I truly feel I could have executed it better. I am tormented with the thought that I stood by and let me dream, my idea, be realized by someone else sooner. In my small town there would not be room for two of us. Now what to do? Would I have ever really acted and opened my own business is the question. I am bummed and heart broken that I didn't act. I am bummed that I didn't have the courage to act before.



As the day draws nearer for my little girl to head off to start finding herself I am just starting to find myself. I want my own business. I believe I am creative enough, have style enough, have the background to pull it off and know that I would love having my own business. Can I do it. Yes!!! Will I do it? Well, that is to be determined. I hope to. I want to. I DREAM to.


Thanks for listening to my thought process as I decide what I am going to do in this next phase. I hope I come through the way I want to. I hope I can put my fear and hesitation aside.

Leslie

Country Living Fair

3 Days

20,000+ attendees

175 Vendors

Two locations

Columbus, Ohio September 24-26

Atlanta, Georgia October 22- 24


This looks like a great plan for a girls trip.

I would love to go for the girl time, shopping, vintage finds and fun foods.

I am sad to see summer coming to an end, but as fall is my favorite time of year, I am exhilarated to know that it's just around the corner. I am already excited about fall festivals, pumpkins, fairs, and crisp air - though we don't get much of that in Florida.

I love these images of last years fair from CountryLiving.com. It definitely looks like a great fall fun.








The Country Living Fair looks like it would deliver all the things that I love. Stay posted, I might just find a way to get a getaway all by myself and head out for some great finds.

Happy Friday, Have a great weekend.

Leslie

Delectable Treats - Miette Patisserie

Okay. This is my last post about San Francisco.

We were perusing through the market at Pier 41. A fabulous market by the way. They hold a farmers market there every weekend and it's the best I've seen. Well, it compares to the one at Union Square in New York. Anyhow, we came across this bakery called Miette Patisserie. It was a beautiful store and appealed to all of my senses. The products are all organic and made daily in their shop. They are only in San Francisco but you can order and have shipped. The store was styled so deliciously sweet in more ways than one. I could have spent hours there, I scanned their entire inventory until I picked a few items to buy as gifts.









Well, okay, I did buy something for myself and the treats taste as wonderful as they looked.

Leslie

I love street vendors

So as not to prolong the posts on my weekend in San Francisco, I will make a day of posts. So much to talk about though, I'll try not to bore you.

Lending to the eclectic feel were the street vendors. EVERYWHERE!! Most of the vendors were either artwork or bead jewelry makers. The beaded jewelry was pretty, but the pieces were bold and as much as I thought I wanted an item, as I tried them on, they just didn't click for me. So I passed.

I happened upon this booth, the last vendor we saw during our trip, good things come to those that wait. The jewelry has a vintage, eclectic vibe to it which I love, The jewelry maker makes her pieces out of old type writer keys, scrabble pieces and vintage coins.








The artists name is Linda La Touche of La Touche Designs. She has a store on Etsy @ www.kalikadesigns.etsy.com. Take a look at you'll like what you see.

Leslie

Anthropologie San Francisco style

I had to visit Anthropologie in San Francisco. I think I may be the only one (okay probably not) that puts a visit to Anthropologie on a must see list on all my travels. Well, this one sure didn't disappoint. It' was three wonderful floors of beautifully decorated bliss. I asked permission of the greeter to take pictures and reluctantly she gave me the go ahead.













I usually make a vacation purchase at Anthropologie and this year it was my "San Francisco" hat that is in most every picture on our trip. See previous post. It was so windy there that it was the best accessory.

Leslie

A San Francisco Treat!

Here are a few pictures of the sights in San Francisco. Such a fun place and so much to see in one city. I think we did it all and were only there for three days. We packed a ton in thanks to a tour that we took on our last day. My favorite things were; taking a trolley ride, seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and taking a ferry ride across the bay. It's a beautiful place with breath taking views. The weather was a bit chilly though a welcome break from the heat in Florida and Arizona. If you go this time of year take a warm jacket. The locals say the best time of year is the Fall, that's when they experience summer weather. You decide, no matter when you go you are sure to have a great time.!

Here are a few of the sights.


View of the Golden Gate Bridge. The fog was quite beautiful, especially looking back at the pictures. It's certainly something to expect any time of year.



Vintage Electric Cars that are used for public transportation and brought in from all over the world.



Hundreds of seals gather at Pier 39 every summer.




San Francisco has the largest Chinatown in the United States. A spectacular sight!



The famous "Painted Ladies" - Victorian home row. These were showcased on the television show Full House. One of my highlights from our tour. I love the city scape behind, such a contrast.



A view of the San Francisco Bay bridge from the bay. I love this shot with the sail boat. Fantastic views! (This is not a black and white picture.)


Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf. I thought this picture looked vintage. People were actually swimming in the water and the air temperature was in the 50's.



The famous San Francisco sign from the Market and Pier 41.



Me, in my San Francisco look, at Fisherman's Wharf in front of the bay.




And finally, the famous San Francisco Trolley. So iconic to San Francisco. A must!


I hope you enjoyed the pictures and my experience of San Francisco. It's really a wonderful city and I would certainly love to go back. There is so much to do, so much culture, beautiful parks, great food, street vendors (which I will write about in a later post), street entertainers and an energy that can't be beat.


Leslie

The Willows

I started my trip out west visiting a store that I have admired on the internet, The Willows. The store delivered as promised. It's BEAUTIFUL! My heart was beating fast the whole time I was in there. There were so many great things that I loved, it is just my style. And it was styled perfectly.








I took a few pictures, however they don't do it justice. Visit the store at www.willowshomeandgarden.com to get a better look and if you are ever in the Phoenix area, you have to stop by. They also have a great blog www.thewillowshomeandgarden.blogspot.com/.











I could have bought so many things but, as this was the first stop on our trip out west, I had to be conservative. I did buy a pair of numbered votive holders with the dates of my anniversary, since this was an anniversary trip. They are simple, slightly industrial looking with metal rims, and look great on my mantle.

I hope you like what you see.

Leslie