And so it begins...

Well here we are, two weeks away from Dathan leaving AGAIN. This time he's headed back to the big sandbox. I've decided to start keeping a blog while he's gone because there's so much I want to accomplish during this deployment and I figure this is a good place to keep track of it all. Aside from trying to save what's left of my sanity and take care of the kids, I'm starting a business. Crazy, I know, but it's been brewing in my mind since last year and at least it'll keep me busy during the next 15 lonely months.

So what started this crazy idea? Well shortly after Schmooley (AKA my daughter Cadence) was born, I decided I needed to have a shopping cart cover. Not because I'm germaphobic, but because I wanted something super plush between her wobbly head and the shopping cart. I shopped around and found the kind I wanted was selling for $80 or more and just couldn't justify spending that amount. So instead I convinced Dathan to let me spend $100 on a sewing machine, and I don't even want to think about how much on fabric and what-not, and I created one. Instant hit with family and friends!

Things just took off from there...burpies, bibs, painted wall letters, hair accessories, blankies, you name it, I was sewing it into the wee hours of the morning. You see, I have been creative ever since anyone who knows me can remember. I sewed, drew, painted, played with clay, and aspired to be the "starving artist" type all throughout my childhood (well, after I got over my ambitions to be a trapeze artist for Ringling Brothers) and well into my high school years. Circumstances in my life pushed me in another direction after school and it was sort of like someone just put a stopper in my bottle of creative juice. After Schmooley came into my life the bottle broke open and I havn't been able to stop since!

Aside from sewing, painting, and crafting I have an obsession with http://www.etsy.com/ (where you will soon be able to see my handcrafted goodies...more on the shop debut coming soon!) and finding unique and charming goods on the Internet. You will see many of them featured in my blog and if you have any suggestions or want to share a nifty product with me, shoot me an e-mail inspiredbymyschmooley@hotmail.com More to come soon!