After months and months of thinking about opening an Etsy shop, I’ve finally done it! Ella K Designs is now on the board! I posted my first piece last night and will continue to post more through the next couple days. So far it’s only coffee cozies, but I’ll soon be adding some adorable baby bibs as well. I just have to find the time to take a few pictures of them. I also want one of Ella wearing a bib, which means she’ll have to be in the mood to help the mama out.
a cozy made from a wool coat with an antique botton
My favorite part about the shop is that everything I’m selling is upcycled. What does that mean? Each piece is made from second-hand materials. I love to thrift shop and thought it would be fun to turn some great finds into totally new creations. I use everything from wool pants and summer jackets to table cloths and curtains.
It may seem obvious how I came up with the name for the shop. I was trying to create a name that I knew I wouldn’t tire of after a few months. I think I’ll be a fan of “Ella K” for a while. 🙂
I’ll keep a side bar link to the shop on the blog so you can see my latest postings. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about what you see!
Last week, Ella & I spent two afternoons finishing our flower planting while Daddy worked on the lawn. We don’t get many days like that when we’re all working at the same time, so we really enjoyed it. Ella especially liked playing in the dirt. Are we surprised?
Pretty, pretty flowers! And a pretty girl.
At one point, Ella was digging through the soil bag and stumbled backward right into the flower pot! She wasn’t very happy about it at first.
Her little bottom fit right inside the pot.
I couldn’t help but laugh and laugh.
That’s when she realized it probably wasn’t such an awful thing to be stuck in a flower pot.
Many of you are aware of my dive into summer classes this week. After a lovely three-week break of doing nearly anything I wanted, I am back at it.
Two classes. Seven grad credits. Four weeks. (On top of this already busy schedule.)
Holy moly.
I’m thankful for grandparents who stay for a week to play with Ella while I’m in class. I’m thankful for an incredible husband who sends encouraging texts during class. (Remember? I sit in the back row. It’s totally manageable.) I’m thankful for a cozy little Annex in the basement that is all my own. And I’m very thankful for the opportunity to study some really cool stuff.
Only one week of on-campus class. Then it’s all online goodness for three more weeks. That equals nap time study sessions and coffee shop visits after the man of the house finishes work. And because I’m doing these two elective classes at one time this summer, I’ll be absolutely free of any academic responsibility all next summer. Lovely.
I discovered an interesting thought as I sat in the grass during a class break on campus today. This may or may not make any sense to you, but it feels like it has a whole lot of meaning to me. I realized that, at age 29 and on my second round of degree-seeking status, I am now the person I dreamed of being when I was an undergrad student. I am only a small resemblance of the person I was ten years ago. I desired confidence and an ease of handling daily life. I desired clothes that fit right that maybe even had a hint of style. I desired afternoons sitting lazily in the grass outside campus buildings, eating a decently healthy, non-dining center meal, while listening to quality music and working through meaningful class assignments. I did those things today. I don’t mean it in a stuck-up way at all. Not like an “I’ve made it. Look at me now” thing. It’s just that, as I sat possessing so many of the qualities that I could only imagine ten years ago, I realized all of the amazing things God has done in me. I guess it took a moment like that, while sitting in the same place I used to sit between theatre classes, to recognize the journey of this life. I’m completely humbled and totally excited all at the same time.
And with that, I’m saying goodnight to Stacy Kent on Pandora, closing the computer, and heading to bed. The morning workout comes early.
Thirty years ago today, my parents stood at the front of a small church in Wadena, Minnesota and promised before God and one another that they would love and support each other through thick and thin. Thirty amazing, eventful, adventurous, trying, and joyful years. Not all of it has been a walk in the park, as no marriage ever is, but they have held to the promise they made and continue to believe in the unity that God created between them. It’s beautiful and inspiring.
And what will they be doing for their anniversary? Taking this mama and her Ella to Colorado! What?! That’s right, my friends, we get to accompany them on their special anniversary trip at the end of August. We’re very much looking forward to it. Lots of hiking, shopping, swimming, and sight seeing. And I’ve promised that Ella and I will get away for a couple days to give them a little alone time. It only seems fair since it is their anniversary vacation, after all.
Thank you, Mom & Dad, for the example you’ve been in my marriage and for showing me what it means to truly love someone. I love you both!
This post has been brought to you during class. That’s why it’s beneficial to sit in the back row & get through assignments in a reasonable amount of time. 🙂
