The Craft Cabinet

My weekend began slowly at 5am on Friday morning. I laid in bed half asleep, listening to the soft sound of water running through the water pipes in the walls of our 1950’s home. Still tossing and turning to sleep a couple more hours before I knew our children would get up, I tried to ignore the sound of light footsteps as Kyle moved around the room to pack and get ready to leave at 5:45. He was headed to Utah for a weekend away with his dad. Some father/son bonding time over skiing, good food and great conversations with some insanely brilliant business minds. I was so excited for him and was anticipating the weekend ahead with the kids. It was going to be much needed quality time for all of us.

I finally fell back to sleep and when the alarm went off at 7:45, I was already feeling refreshed. After getting the kids settled with our wonderful sitter, I headed out to run some errands, get a massage and soak in some time to myself. As I walked out the door and drove down the street I shook off any guilt of the alone time I felt I needed. I let go of the to do list swirling in my head, the emails I probably should’ve sat and answered and I let the warmth of the sun fill my car as I drove. I truly believe that a couple hours alone can do you so much good. It can clear your mind, refresh your soul.

I returned home feeling relaxed, like a tension I couldn’t put my finger on had been lifted. After showering and finally “putting myself together” for the day, I sat in front of my computer and before I knew it, my inbox was clear and the clock was ticking to 4pm. I said goodbye to our babysitter just as Katelyn + Brayden woke up from their naps. (Yes I know how insanely blessed I am that my almost 5 year old and 3 1/2 year old still nap everyday). We played puzzles, sang songs, practiced our dance moves until it was time for me to get ready to head out the door for the evening.

As I walked into Oh, Hello Friend in Fullerton, I was immediately drawn to it’s welcoming charm. Each shelf, rack, corner and space of the store drew me in and made me want to see more. I picked up so many beautiful things along the way, gifts, something little for myself and some sparkler candles for Katelyn’s 5th birthday. The decor was beautiful, Andrea + Jules did a great job transforming Oh, Hello Friend into both a inspirational space + a craft space for The Craft Cabinet. Although I would venture to say that I don’t always see myself as the most artistically creative person, I was looking forward to delving in some watercoloring.

The watercoloring class, let by Brenda Ponnay, surprised me by being a lot more relaxing an enjoyable than I expected. The evening was filled with watercolor great friends and conversation. And even though my children still believe that my re-creation of the plant in front of me is a pineapple, I’ll accept it as an attempt to be abstract and not allow myself to be boxed in by my creativity. Or we could just call a spade a spade and I could admit that at first glance it really does look more like a pineapple. Can we talk about the swag?! Oh my swooooon! From Martha Stewart to The Style Bandit, Yellow Heart Art and Fresh Tangerine each piece was more beautiful than the next.

My Saturday morning was met with a glorious sleep in time of 8:30, thank you children. We got up, hung out in our pj’s, ate a late breakfast before heading to a friend’s sons birthday party. Then I did something I hardly ever do, I threw my schedule out the window and instead of napping, we met a friend at the beach for some fun in the sand. The kids had so much fun. They ran, played, laughed, got dirty + sandy, but so much more than that, they loved every minute of it. I’m blessed to have friends who will take a couple hours out of their family weekend to come spend time with us while Kyle is gone.

I’m learning just how short life is and how fast it flies by us that we need to grab those moments and live them to the fullest. We have to forego nap time for an afternoon of fun, in exchange for an early bedtime. We need to spend more time telling people how important they are to us and ways they bless us. I need to be more active and present with my kids. The difference in their behavior is so evident. They’re craving that time. They just want to be seen in the midst of our busy schedule and not looked beyond. I need more weekends like this one. They create so many amazing memories, memories that I can carry with me on weekends that I travel.

How was your weekend friends? I’d love to hear what you were up to.