I have a confession to make...
I haven't posted since the start of Memorial Day weekend...a post stating my holiday weekend plans...starting with the Sex in the City  movie and ending with watching the Memorial Day parade on Monday... None of it ever materialized except for seeing Sex in the City 2 and then on Saturday morning we had one last fight which changed my life for ever. I left my husband after 23 years of marriage.

I had posted my plans, hoping that if I planned and wrote it all down as I wanted it to happen then it would materialize. More often than not, my weekend is gone without really doing much of anything... As a matter of fact, we have been in a survival mode for the past several years. Our family has endured a lot of stress over the past 7 or 8 years...the collapse of my husband's business, a horrific accident involving my 14 year olds hand when he was 9,which caused much conflict between my husband and I involving a lawsuit, much financial stress and the slow death of our once solid marriage.There has been no abuse or infedelity on either side, just two people who fell in love young at 19 and 24 years old... We have been in counseling for years, for both our marriage and individual therapy to try to get our lives back on track.

With my husband out of work for the past three years and my return to work full time,our daughter in college and 2 teen boys who will be going just around the corner, the stress level has been sky high to say the least. Our communication skills with each each other have never stellar but during these times of stress things had gotten so bad that we were avoiding each other in order to avoid conflict. Our home was no longer the happy safe haven it had once been and for years now I have grieving the loss of the marriage and man I once knew. I was constantly thinking that I could stick it out until my youngest child was out of high school which would be 4 more years.

I found myself feeling hopeless for our future and felt as though my husband was drowning and pulling me and my children under with him, and knew if I didn't do something....nothing was going to change. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done even though I am sure I have made the right decision.

I am a mixed bag of emotions....I feel strong and empowered, and that I am being true to myself for the first time in a long time....but at the same time scared loney, relieved, happy sad, and confused about how I ended up here... Mostly heartbroken for my children who are adjusting the best that they can with the help of a wonderful family and child therapist.

I felt before I could go on writing on my blog....I needed to let you all know. The focus of my blog before was all positive posts and posting favorites etsy products, websites or cool videos...I hadn't posted much about my life or family because I was going through such a difficult time. My blog was my escape. It will still be positive because I am generally not a negative person...but I'm sure I will be sharing a little more about my life since this is such a major change for me.

I've decided to change the name of my blog to...
                                                                       
Clean Slate
I'm starting a new chapter in the book of life, and I know its not going to be easy...I can use all the support I can get so please feel free to give me advice or encouragement if you have been through sonething similar! Thanks and have a great day!

Please follow me at my new web address   www.cleanslate.blogspot.com/

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I wish you all a fun but safe Memorial Day weekend...Take time  to slow down and enjoy the long holiday weekend if you are not working... I know I definitely need reminders to make a plan or time just gets away from me and I end up just puttering around the house, trying to clean and make order....(I have 3 teenagers)  but this weekend I have planned ahead so that won't happen...

 My weekend  will be kicked off tonight by going to the late show to see Sex and the City 2 with my husband...(can you believe he will go with me? )... farmers market in the am and then some planting and working in my garden tomorrow..... and the rest of the day to relax.... (I 'm going to try anyway!)

One of my co-workers won 2 tickets to an outdoor music festival on Sunday and invited me to go with her!  I think I am going to see if I can sneak away for the day and go with her.... It is at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY and is a wonderful outdoor theater which is the summer home to the New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra.... The grounds are beautiful and they have wonderful summer concerts there.... lots of great  people watching and lots of great pictures... along with the music of course...

Monday we will go to the Memorial Day parade in town....we usually ride our bikes down to the main street and then watch the parade from my husbands office which is on the main street...

Probably a barbecue with my parents on Sunday.....and another day off on Monday....how exciting!
Have a wonderful holiday weekend to all of you and I will post pictures and sum up my weekend on Monday....

XO Jill

Cool Etsy Find...

One of my latest favorite etsys find is a shop from Sedona Arizona called YAVA Glass. They specialize in taking recycled beverage bottles with screen-printed labels and converting them into decorative glassware. Very very cool....These are my favorites but check out their shop. There's lots of really great glasses and even glass jewelry.....
I love etsy!                

Animal Art....

As an etsy shop owner, I love to support other artists there and I recently stumbled across Alison's shop, Eastwicking.... She is from Wales and she paints the most beautiful original watercolors of animals at such reasonable prices...I love her work. My favorite is the Jack Russell Terrior but I may be partial since I have one of my own....Which one is your favorite?

Collage of Frames

Michelle from Three Men and a Lady posted such a great idea for a way to make a collage on a bare white wall.... She takes old mirrors and antique frames and paints them for a classic white on white look....I love it! It gives a white wall a bit of texture without being too busy... She has an incredible sense of style....This is one idea that I'm going to have to steal!

Thanks for the tip Michelle! You're amazing...

Happy Monday!

A funny video to start off your week by an Austrailian Art Director using motion animation.....Great idea...Have a wonderful week!

Hair Conditioner from Jonathan Gurvit on Vimeo.

Coloring Book Wallpaper by Jon Burgerman

Isn't this great for a kids room? How could you step foot in a room like this and not want to color? Coloring is very meditative,mesmorizing.... and such a great escape from the stressors of everyday life.... This wallpaper was designed by Jon Burgerman, a UK based artist famous for his doodling, drawing and illustrations....

My Other House...

Or did I mean to say...I wish this was my other house!

I have had this photo saved on my desktop for quite sometime and can't seem to recall where I got it from or what I'm to do with it.... All I know is that everytime I'm going through files on my computer and stumble upon it,I am transported to a far away place where there are no disruptions and little stress... A place where I can think clearly and calmly,feeling the warmth of the sun upon me & appreciating all of god's creations that are here on this earth for us to enjoy....

Today it also makes me think of how much I would love a much needed vacation with my family...

Memories of my 70's Childhood...

I had this same phone growing up, only ours was gold! My parents remodeled our kitchen when I was around 10 and although it was small, it mimicked the style of "The Brady's" kitchen with orange formica counter tops and walnut cabinets. The wallpaper was gold with spices all over it... and a gold phone to match. It sounds horrible now but we were really stylin' then... 
My mom had a blonde shag haircut and my dad had a longer style haircut parted on the side, and they were sporting maxi skirts and leisure suits! Those were the days! How groovy was our family in the seventies... Oh by the way, we did have the long phone cord on ours so you could reach everything in the room. I guess we were privileged(not). The problem with the long phone cord was that it would get so tangled and twisted, that you would have to stand on a kitchen chair and unwind it every once in a while... 
Remember that? Or am I dating myself....

How Pretty is This Picture?

I love this photograph....Brunettes with blue eyes are always so stunningly beautiful and the necklace is great too... It would be so easy to make...

I love this video and song....Makes me sooo happy and inspired!

Inspirational Post....

I just wanted to say.....thanks for all of the comments on my last post! I am new to blogging and who would have known that all of you, like me would find the video of that little girl....chanting in front of the mirror about what she loves.... so thought provoking... It made us all want a little piece of what she has... the love of the life that we are living right now...not worrying about has happened in the past or what's in store for us in the future...but loving what you have right now... Each day is a fresh start, a new beginning... something we all need reminding of from others all of the time to keep us from not missing out on our very own life... Slow down, have faith, and listen carefully and you will be amazed at how it can transform your day, your week and your life! So on this day....Wednesday... if you have been racing uphill through the week at full speed, try coasting through the rest of the week...looking around and  putting the breaks on a little to slow down and experience all there is to see, experience and be thankful for!

Check out Jane's post today from her inspirational blog.... The Painted House
Thanks Jane!

XO Jill

I Want To Be A Little Girl Again....

Don't you want what she has?
I am going to try to remember to start each day being thankful for everything I have and stop focusing on what I don't have or what is not right in my life. Life can be tough but I do believe that a positive attitude goes a long way along with slowing down and being present in your life. We are all rushing around, trying to get so much done in a day, that we're missing life!

 Take time to thank God for all you have and then listen for his voice,all day... Slow down and appreciate all this world has to offer! Live your life today like a beautifully innocence child....taking in all of the wonders of the world ....

Have a wonderful day!

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

I Just Discovered the Best Blog!!!

As an etsy shop owner and a blogger, I always read "The   Storque," etsy's own blog and in the get the look section there was an article about "going coastal." She featured the home of Michelle Edwards who is a visual merchandiser by day and has an etsy shop owner(called Sweet Something Design) by night. She is an artist, photographer and excellent blogger....She has an amazing eye for design and I love the look of her home and all of the great DIY projects that she shows on her blog, taking dated forgetable objects and transforming them into beautiful pieces of art for her home.

 She really has a talent for mixing patterns and textures to create an elegant yet casual atmosphere with a beachy vibe. I absolutely love her blog also titled Sweet Something Design. It is definately one I will be following! Check it out... Here is a picture of  her beautiful livingroom in her coastal home. See her blog and the etsy article for more photos....

Have a wonderful day! XO Jill

Great Song and Video by American Idol's Brooke White

I absolutely loved Brooke White when she was on American Idol and knew she would do great things after she was voted off...I stumbled across this cute song and video on Mariel Torres blog called Mariel's Window...Check out her great blog!

I hear Italy calling my name...

I am married to a guy whose heritage is one hundred percent Italian and I am a blonde haired blue eyed girl of German and English descent who's parents grew up,conservative New Englanders from Vermont and New Hampshire. When I watched the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding for the first time, it reminded me of times we have brought our two families together during the holidays and I could so relate to the scene in the movie where his parents are invited to the Greek family party...So hysterically funny! My mother is the one bringing the bundt cake to the eccentric, boisterous Christmas Eve celebration at my sister-in-law's home. My extended family is so warm and welcoming and are always gracious enough to include my parents in any holiday family get together since my only sibling lives out of state. The Christmas Eve celebration at "The Didios" is the highlight of the season for my 3 children... and as the kids getter older, and some of the cousins are having their own kids,the party continues to change and grow...sometimes making you wonder...who are these people at our family Christmas party... So much fun!

My husband spent a year abroad his junior year of college and traveled Europe on his school breaks,and often talks about his time spent in Italy. He had to return several years ago for business, and unfortunately, I was not able to get away to join him. I have never been to Italy but I have a feeling, if I did go, I would not want to ever come back!

Here are some beautiful and colorful photos taken by a photographer from Switzerland named,Pascel Boegll. Check out his work... Such vivid color. On this Friday evening, go pour your self a glass of red vino, put on some italian music on Pandora radio and scroll through these photographs and drift away to Italy if only in your imagination... Have a wonderful weekend...

Ciao!
XO Jill

My very own little Justin Beiber!

This is my 14 year old and when I read Nicole's post about Justin Beiber from her blog,  Nicki Woo- the home guru  I just had to share! Although my son would never listen to Justin's music (he's way too old and cool for that!).... all of the preteen girls do... .and that explains why all of the little girls in the neighborhood have a crush on my baby....I have to admit he is adorable....but I may be just a little bit partial...

XO Jill says

Photo taken at...
 Natural Stone Bridges and Caves in
 Pottersville, New York


 Summer 09'

Spiked Blueberry Lemonade...

Spiked Blueberry Lemonade Anyone?

Doesn't this look refreshing and make you happy? It makes me think of a nice summer night sitting  on our deck at our camp on Lake George... We are fortunate enough to have 2 weeks every summer at my husband's family camp... When the kids were little we didn't even have a TV there so every evening , after we put them to bed, we would sit out on the deck by the lake with a glass of wine and enjoy the night, the stars, the conversation with one another and reflect on how wonderful it is to slow down, and to be present in the moment...After our two weeks, we would say we were going to start doing this at home in the evening, even though the setting wasn't as picturesque... It sounds do-able, doesn't it? Not as easy as it sounds....and now they're teenagers.... Need I say more?

This recipe and photo is from Veggie Belly, a vegetarian website that has so many fun recipes! Check it out...This is definately one that I'm going to try....
We must all be thinking about summer and summer foods since Emily from cupcakes and cashmere just made a post also about how to make watermelon popsicles... So refreshing!


Have a wonderful day!


XO
Jill says...

Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy your day, Moms! There's not better than waking up on Sunday morning on Mother's Day to your     children's precious faces carrying a breakfast in bed tray with all of their favorite breakfast foods on it along with flowers and a homemade card... It doesn't get much better than that! What a way to start your day...

This makes up for the day to day stress and exhaustion that we feel from the many hats we wear as mothers... We are so hard on ourselves and are constantly trying to be it all to everyone that we care about in our lives and sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves... We are multitaskers...We can't help ourselves... but today.... enjoy that poptart  that your kids brought you for breakfast, read the Sunday paper in bed, then pull your down comforter back over your head and drift off to sleep for a little longer.... Slow down  and embrace the fact that your family does appreciate all that you do and let them pamper you! This is your day... Happy Mother's Day and ohh.... Don't forget to call your mother...

Light Bites....

I want these on my next birthday cake! Aren't they great?

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah

One of my favorite songs of all times.... So many people have recorded it. Here are a few of my favorite recordings...Which is your favorite?

Very Vintage Looking Vases....

Happy Spring...

I love flowers and anything vintage and even though these vases are just tin cans from an average grocery store....using them for vases gives it a very retro vintage look. You can collect cans that you like or even shop for really great no name brands at the dollar store. They always have food there in packaging that I have never heard of and would be skeptical to try....but for a dollar a can, you've just inherited a masterpiece that you can keep for a lifetime. Paint over the label with hodge pog or white elmers glue and it will preserve the label and protect it from water damage!

So fun for a summer outside dinner party with candles and flowers everywhere!

Enjoy and start planning! I'm getting excited to plan something too, outside at our camp on beautiful Lake George...

XO Jill says...

Wonderful song and video

Juliet by Royal Wood

Denim Updated...

What a great idea this is to give your old denim jacket a new look! This photo is from Kelly Hick's blog and I love the look. I have an old jean jacket just that shade of blue and I am going to have to get my scissors out, cut the sleeves off and wash and dry it to get that frayed look. She just posted this on Friday but I just had to share...Thanks for the great idea Kelly!

XO Jill

Color Makes Me Happy!

One of the newest etsy sites that I stumbled upon is Focused Line Art. The artist Tracy Melton is a full time artist based in Knoxville Tennasee. He has been painting nature inspired paintings for years and received his formal education from the Columbus College of Art.
He has sold thousands of paintings, and has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show.My favorite pieces that he creates are his line  of 3-D paintings on recycled elm trees. He actually cuts down dead  trees himself with a chain saw,then the pieces are sanded, and clear coated to accentuate the wood, then painted with acrylic paint and clear coated again. They are hollowed out from behind for wall mounting. Sold in sets of three. 

 Happy Earth Day!

HOMEBUG : homes, interiors, art & design - ireland & elsewhere

HOMEBUG : homes, interiors, art & design - ireland & elsewhere

Handbags for Haiti...

This gorgeous one of a kind vintage bag is perfect for a daytime summer outing like the track or a barbecue. It is in mint condition and has been updated with an enamel daisy which makes it what we call modern vintage. It's funky and fun but classic at the same time!

This is one of the three purses in my etsy shop that is in my Handbags for Haiti line...many more to come this coming week!

I am donating 10% of the profits to
God's Littlest Angels , an organization that helps children and babies in Haiti. (See previous post)

God's Littlest Angels...

                                                                    God's Littlest Angels                                                          
                                                                     Haitian Baby Ministry


Having been a neonatal nurse for 19 years...
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for babies and children, but now in my forties I feel compelled more than ever to want to give back...to pay it forward... make a difference...


 I have been wanting to go on a mission trip for quite some time and when I heard about the devastating effects of the earthquake that hit Haiti, I was so grief stricken seeing all of the babies,children and families that were injured and torn apart from their family members,that  I wished my life enabled me to just hop a plane to Port Au Prince and help out for a while. Unfortunately my commitments to my job and 3 teenagers make it impossible for me at this time. It's something that is definitely in my future though.


 As a  young child myself, while my older much more girly sister was playing with barbies and designing her own clothes for her paper dolls, I was obsessing over which baby doll I wanted  next and knew I had to wait for my next birthday or Christmas for it to arrive. If we visited a family that had a new baby, I would be whispering to my mother to ask her friend if I could hold the baby, and wouldn't stop pestering until she asked. Sometimes they would let me.


Fast forward to the present and I have worked as a nurse at Boston Children's Hospital and for the past 19 years have worked in a special care nursery on a labor and delivery unit. My sister on the other hand ended up in NYC for many years as a fashion designer and then made the switch to home interiors where she currently designs beautiful high end carpets at a company called Company C.where she is the director of design.


Isn't it funny how at 8 and 10 years old, our little personalities, likes and dislikes are already so distinct and strong?  It brings me back to the Haitian children, now more than ever, who are children like my sister and I once were  who had interests,hopes and dreams for their future who have now been ripped from their homes and or families and placed in orpanages. Many of these kids have had to have limbs amputated due to their houses crushing their little bodies. They need our help!


Aside from being a baby nurse with a big heart, I also have a love of vintage bags and jewelry and have a shop on etsy called didio. I update vintage bags to make them modern today adding antique jewelry and vintage embellishments. For each bag sold, I will donate 10% of my profit to God's Littlest Angels to help the children of Haiti. 


My mission for Handbags for Haiti is to give to this wonderful non profit organization that has a heart for the children of Haiti.... With my profit, I hope to save enough to go on a mission trip there myself to help out these precious children....


XO Jill






                         

Rolling Elephants....

Aren't they great fun? I found these pillow covers on a European site called envelop. It is an online store for illustrated cotton goods. Artists can sell products with their designs on them here and there is an online retail store for purchasing these unique fun products which are printed on clothing, bags,anything cotton... Check it out.

The artist who designed the elephant print is very talented 27 year old illustrator named Ines Christine Geiber from Kassel Germany. She is still a student at The Art Institute os Kassel and is studing illustration,comics,and film animation. She is definately one to watch!

  

More fun prints for Spring...

Check out this great etsy shop

Girl.. by Aileen is an etsy shop based in Chicago. She makes the best change purses, clutches and messenger bags with really fun vintage inspired fabrics. Here is just a sampling of some of the styles and fabrics... Check out her shop to see all she has to offer...


I love these great clutches used for bridesmaid's accessories or gifts....Imagine how pretty this would look to see the bridesmaids carrying these fun clutches that coordinated with their dresses at the reception. How unique!



Or this great pouch/change purse...

Liberty of London teams up with Target

I had read that Liberty of London was debuting their new line this Spring at Target...but until I walked into the store one dreary day in March, I didn't realize how exciting and refreshing it really was! The vivid fun floral patterns on everything from dresses to bicycles to home furnishings etc. really brightened up my day and made me realize that Spring really was just around the corner.

Living in the northeast in the winter has its disadvantages and March is one of them... The snow has melted, and the winter months have left everything brown, dark and depressing... April seems so far away...

Check out this sampling of some of the new Liberty of London products in Target right now...They are flying off the shelves and racks....