As If You Didn't Know...

Not sure where the time goes these days... oh yeah.  Work/teaching.  Monitering the Boys Under House Arrest.  Managing 3299.  Decor blog (click HERE to see the latest!).  New venture.   Sound exciting?  Hmmm.  Kinda.  Lots of heavy going on, though, too.  Alec lost another friend and classmate to a tragic pile-up on I-75 two weeks ago.  My Mom radar is on high alert.  We're coming up on a year since Josh took his own life and I worry about Alec's struggle to process life and death at the age of 16. 

Lately I've had the urge to just check out on my reality for a bit.  Good thing NYC is in my plans for next weekend.  Good GF time, a Broadway show (or two), and a teeny bit of retail therapy in the Big Apple may be just what the doctor ordered.

In the meantime, my friend Pamela over at Road to Joy has thrown down the gauntlet in the blogging department.  I mean she called me out.  Right there in the blogosphere. :-)  But it gives me a good excuse to pop back here and update y'all, too, so who am I to complain??  She's challenged me to answer 11 questions about myself here in my space.  Y'all know me already, so these probably won't come as a big 'ole surprise.

1.  Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Funny enough, Pam has the same answer:  Gary Biggers, my English teacher junior year in HS.  He instilled in me a love of writing and fed my curiosity about the big wide world outside of Amarillo TX.

2.  What were your sports of choice when you were younger?
Tennis, tennis, and tennis.  I'm pretty sure ballet, chorus, and piano aren't considered sports.

3.  What did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer and art gallery owner.  Still do.  Am I grown up yet?

4.  What profession did you ultimately end up in and why?
HA HA!!  Really??  Hmm.  I'm a preschool teacher/small business owner/blogger/mom/stepmom/wife.  Why?  I'm growing where I've been planted.

5.  What is the single most important thing you think parents should teach their children?
Two things:  responsibility and a work ethic.  Way too much entitlement and blame shifting out there.

6.  When you run, what is the one thing your mind turns to most often?
Well, I'm not running right now due to a foot injury, but when I do I just zone into the music or daydream about what I'd do if I won the lottery.  Deep right?

7.  What is your favorite book and how many times have you read it?
The Secret Garden.  I read it about every three years or so.  Little Women is a close second.  You know all about what I've been reading and loving (or not) lately. :)

8.  If you could pick one movie to watch for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This is tough, because El Presidente has about 10 that he's content to watch over and over.  And over. And over.  Johnny One Note.  But I digress.  Maybe The Thomas Crowne Affair?

9.  Are you comfortable in the city or country?
Both!  Sick of the suburbs, but would love the big city or a sprawling ranch in the country equally.  Can I have both?

10.  If you had the option of spending three months of the year in another place, where would it be?
The beach.  Or Tuscany.  Paris, maybe?

11.  What is your all time favorite museum to visit?
National Gallery of Art in D.C.  I went at least once a month while I lived there and have never regretted it.

So there you have it!  Did you learn anything new?

Speaking of new,  MK and I have pulled the trigger and signed a contract to open our antiques booth at the end of February!!  We'll be setting up camp at Olivia Morgan here in Marietta.  Super excited and though it's busy now getting our system and goods figured out, we're looking forward to our new venture.  I'll share more when the time comes...

This was our full moon last month... cool huh?

Until then, send some positive energy my way, please!! 
xo Heidiopia

Great Reads

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How awesome is this pic?  Looks like heaven to me, being the bookworm that I am. :)  I'm off to a good start on my goal to read more books in 2012.  Considering we're only 20 days into it.  Ha!

Wanted to share a couple of good reads that I'll be adding to my Amazon store (in the right side bar).

Right before the holidays I finished off Wendy Wax's Ten Beach Road.



This was loaned to me by a friend, to whom I had loaned Magnolia Wednesdays about a year or so ago. She knew I'd enjoy and she was right!  The story of three strangers from different walks of life, bankrupted by a Ponzi scheme, and thrown together as joint owners of a delapidated beach property, this book has much more to it than meets the eye.  Wax has a gift for character development and weaving a mystery into a fun, engrossing read.  While our three gals circle each other warily and try to come to grips with their shared predicament,  they cast their lots on the side of friendship and a common goal.  They'll battle secrets, betrayal, despair and humiliation, but discover courage, loyalty, and true friendship.  Tuck this one in your bag for your next vacay.

Over the holidays, I picked up Jan Karon's In the Company of Others, her most recent tale of Father Tim with the Mitford ties. 



Though this is the 9th or 10th Father Tim book, you need not have read them all to appreciate this stand-alone gem.  Father Tim and Cynthia embark on a long over due trip to Ireland, but end up confined to a small fishing B&B and reluctantly embroiled in a family's bitter feud and the mysterious disappearance of valuables.  During their confinement, the Kavanaughs find themselves serving as confidantes, mentors,  and detectives to help their hosts and new-found cast of friends.  Karon is a gifted story-teller and she does not disappoint, especially in the chapters of an Irish doctor's 150 year old journal that shed light on their surroundings and the on-going mystery.  I was charmed, as always, by her lyrical prose and character sketches.  She is a breath of fresh air in modern literature.

Lastly, I just put down the marvelous Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant.



This was my book club's January pick and I. Loved. It.  Quite unexpectedly, I might add.   Set in a convent in Ferarra, Italy in the mid-1500's, this book offers intriguing insight into the inner workings of a convent during the late Renaissance and the lives of its inhabitants.  Portrayed as a veritable microcosm of society, the nuns of Santa Catrina maintain an independent economy and hierarchy of authority, quite contradictory to the place of women in Renaissance society outside the protective walls of the cloister.  A young entrant, confined to convent against her will and in the throes of a doomed love affair, threatens to upset the delicate balance of spiritual serenity and order, exposing and exploiting an underlying power struggle within the convent itself.  A cast of all female characters and ripe with intrigue, deception, and cunning, this one had me cheering on the she-warriors in the habits.  This is no light read... be prepared to dig in, but it's worth the ride.

Happy Reading, folks!  What good books have you immersed yourself in lately??

Holiday Pics and More

So sad... the 14th of January and I'm just now posting some of my holiday pics for y'all.  Suffice to say, I am perpetually behind.  No matter how hard I try to stay on top of things, I always seem to underestimate three things grossly:  time, money, and energy.   Last fall did me in.  Seriously.  Too much uncertainty.  In a totally new place in parenting.  New websites and business opportunities.  Too much travel (yes, there is such a thing).  Too little energy.  Not enough money.  OK, I'm through whining. :)  We're moving on!!

The Christmas holidays were very different for us this year... we were in school right up through the 22nd of December and between that and my roof rat infestation, there was no time to enjoy the season.  None.  On the 23rd, the kids went to the Ex, and El Pres and I got on the road in the wee hours to Albany to be with MIL and family.  I went straight to bed when I got there. :-/  Not one of my finer DIL moments, but I was done.  Finished. Kaput.  Totally.  Thankfully, she understood. :-)

He looks how I FELT when we got there.

Homemade eggnog anyone??  Hoping she'll share the recipe with me sometime because it's YUMMY!

Are they the cutest, or what?  Siss and Bob.

The best SIL EVER and her funny hubs.

Siss and her chicks.

Amazing what a little sleep can do...

The day after Christmas, I flew to Amarillo for four days... by myself!  What a treat to have my parents all to myself!  We had such a great, leisurely visit... saw "War Horse" (don't miss it! ), went shopping, rearranged the furniture and even took a ride...

Yes, our Old Girl needed gas, needed to be driven, and even got a new pair of shoes.  I referring of course to the car. :-)  Such fun to tootle around town in her!  And YES!  That's snow you see on the house...

Now THAT's what I'm talking about!  Just enough to look pretty, but not be a problem.

That's the view from Mom and Dad's front porch.  Nice! 

I even squeezed in lunch with an old friend.  Such a great trip-- the perfect way to recharge after several crazy, stressful months.  Mom and Dad are the best hosts.

And then I was thrilled be back with this bunch:

I did miss them!  We had a fun time celebrating a VERY late Christmas on New Year's Eve.  El Pres was duck hunting in Arkansas and joined us on New Year's Day... with enough duck and geese for a veritable feast.

I spent the whole next week trying to regroup and actually enjoy being off.  There was lots of sleeping in, digging out of email, mail, papers, etc, and making of plans and goals for the new year.

When I looked back at my goals for 2011, I was right about CHANGE that was coming.  And I accomplished a handful of things on that list.  My writing probably suffered the most, ironically.  As my Decor & More took off, my writing projects, querying,  and hopes to take a writing class fell by the wayside.  Those goals aren't gone completely, but you won't find them on the list this year. The antique booth is well in the works (Yay!).  Some painting and updates took place at 3299, but we spent way more time and money addressing problems with the house.  We never rejoined the gym, but we did continue exercising... we'll try again this year for the gym, but I'm not making any promises. :)  With my new camera, my photography was much improved!  I was even asked for advice recently.  Yikes.  And I did face changes and new opportunities with courage... and with thanksgiving.  I listed over 2000 gifts from God after reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.  If you haven't read this yet, it needs to go on your TBR list. 

So what about 2012? 

While 2011 was all about change, courage, opportunities, 2012 will be about balance and peace.  Two things  that were sorely lacking in my 2011.  Here are some specific goals...

•  Read more books.  I did a lot of online reading last year, working on my business and website.  This year I want to read more books than online articles.
• Continue listing My Gifts.  Nothing is more healing.
• Travel less.   All my travel last year, while wonderful in many ways, put me terribly behind at home.  And when I'm behind at home, I stress.  So fewer trips this year.
• Get more sleep.  No small feat for me, as you know, but I'm working on it.
• Finish what I've started at 3299.  I have lots of redecorating and updating projects that are in process.  Part of finding some peace will hinge upon finishing what I've begun.
• Spend less time online.  With the launch of www.heidimilton.com this won't be easy, but I'm determined to spend less time in front of the computer this year.
• Eat healthier, drink more tea and water, exercise regularly.  All doable.

So there you have it, friends!  Right there in black and white.  Hold me accountable, okay?  So now, I must put the computer down and get my Saturday rocking... I'm cleaning house, working on two craft projects, getting the boys haircuts, and watching my Saints and Tim Tebow play football today.  Oh, and exercising. :-)

What does your day look like?  Any goals for the new year to share??

See ya soon!!
xo Heidi



What a Year! 2011 Recap...

The end is near!  It's been an interesting year, friends and fam, but I think I'm ready to move on. 2012 promises to be another interesting one, but there's certain things I'll be super happy to leave behind. :)

Last winter we weathered ice and snow storms and I weathered the flu -- which just so happened to coincide with a week that we were snowed in.  I've decided that was not a bad thing, since life as we knew it came to a screeching halt anyway and there was plenty of lounging, movie-watching, popcorn popping, since we were all housebound.  I also travelled to NY to traipse around their snow drifts with Amy and loved every minute of it.

In the spring, El Pres and I celebrated my birthday on the beach in Destin.  Shortly after we hosted Mom and Dad for Alec's confirmation.  And then again for Erin's graduation.    Big doin's!!

The summer kicked off with Alec's trip to Greece.  One of MANY trips... Lake Rabun (twice), NYC, Albany, Lake Blue Ridge, Pensacola, Amarillo, Austin, Athens (twice), and Destin.  By the time Labor Day rolled around, I had quite a few miles on me. :) 

Miss Erin got started at UGA in August, sending me into the biggest funk I've ever experienced.  Not only did I miss her terribly, but I had that overwhelming sense of crossing into another phase of life.  And I wasn't keen on it.  Now that things have settled a bit, I'm feeling a little more comfortable in my own skin.  About the same time, my grandmother began "visiting" me in the wee hours.  That's a blog post alone, so I won't go into a whole lotta detail.  Suffice to say, her "visits" are benevolent and not alarming, but they have caused many a sleepless night.

This fall we travelled some more: Albany, College Station, and Murfreesboro-- leading me to the conclusion that I cannot be out of town for 3 out of 5 weekends. Not at this stage of my life anyway!  I have felt like I've been playing catch up ever since.  Not a good feeling!  HeidiMilton.com went live and while I'm still learning all the bells and whistles and fine tuning its direction, I love it.  The learning curve hasn't been too bad, but I'm hoping I can get a good grip on it over the holidays. :)

We returned to Albany for Thanksgiving with everyone in tow.

Thankfully, I got our Christmas card photo done there!

Good looking bunch, no?  We were missing Coop of course.  He's working in a new job and gets next to no time off unfortunately.  We're hoping he'll come home to visit soon after the new year.

This month, El Pres and I enjoyed a quiet weekend at Lake Rabun.

How's this for a relaxing view?  Yes, that's a mimosa. :)  We were celebrating his 53rd birthday, after all!

The Christmas holidays will be busy, with lots of in and out, some travel, and the on-going battle with our rodents.  I've never been so happy to write a $1600 check in my life.  It's such a relief to know our problem is being addressed.   It still gives me the willies, though. :(

Anyway, to end on a high note, everyone's finishing the semester in good form and we're all rocking into the holidays healthy.  Hollah!!!  I'm looking forward to new ventures in the new year and am filled with gratitude for all my blessings and excitement for what is to come.  One of my goals will be to post here more regularly for you, my faithful readers.  So from me to you, a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!  See you in 2012!







Looking for the Christmas Spirit

I'm digging deep these days, friends. This is my favorite time of year.  I love to decorate for Christmas, shop for gifts, gift wrap, make Christmas treats, watch Christmas movies, listen to Christmas tunes.  But this year-- try as I might-- I'm finding it hard to be in a celebratory mood.
I've continued listing my Gifts each day, working on channelling that Attitude of Gratitude that normally comes so easily to me.  What's not to be thankful for, after all?  We're all healthy, we're paying our bills and still have a roof over our heads and food in the cabinets, no one's in jail (that we know of), El Pres and I both have jobs.  But forgive me while I rattle off my frustrations of late.
Budget blown to smithereens. It all started around Thanksgiving, when the boomerang came home and the schedule ramped up.  Extra mouths to feed + very little time to plan and cook = budget disaster.
Sleepless nights and days where I must be 100% on my game -- preschoolers don't care if you only got a couple of hours of sleep.
Boys that cannot seem to seal the deal academically.  Since Thanksgiving, my days from 4pm on consist of managing and micro-managing their academics-- prodding, reminding, proof reading, communicating with teachers, reviewing and quizzing.  Here in the 11th hour, I'm not hopeful, even after all of that.  Most of this is a disaster of their own making.
Add to these frustrations this crisis:  Roof rats. 
Yes, 3299 is infested.  These little nasties came in through gaps in our roof line and have made themselves at home in the attic and the basement storage areas. I discovered them (or evidence of them) when I pulled out my Christmas decorations.  You know, the ones I love to deck the halls with?  Since that day two weeks ago, I've spent HOURS pulling out boxes and bins from our basement, meeting with wildlife exterminators, and laying awake listening to them party in my attic at night.  We've had to throw away a ton of stuff, which maybe isn't SUCH a bad thing, but much of it we didn't want or intend to part with.  Entire days devoted to minimizing what's in storage, cleaning up rat droppings.  You see, they come tomorrow to seal the house up and set traps.  They've got to have open space to work in and as clean a slate as possible so we can gauge success.  Add to this that we'll all be gone for a few days over the holiday weekend.  I have visions of them taking over every square inch of my home in my absence.  We have no idea how many of them there are.  Nor do our wildlife exterminators.  They don't know how many visits they will have to make to clear out and reset the traps. It. Makes. Me. Crazy.  And it's pretty much killed my Christmas spirit.  And further decimated the budget.  You don't even want to know what the bill is for wildlife extermination of this magnitude.

Oh, and my washing machine died yesterday.
Bah Humbug, y'all.

Hope to be back to you with a 2011 recap post that's full of happiness and levity.  In the meantime, I'll keep counting my Gifts.  It's the only thing keeping me sane these days.

Sharing Thoughts of Gratitude Today

I'm posting at Fancy Little Things today.  Please join me there and then come back later for a Thanksgiving week wrap up. :)

I {Heart} the Holidays!

I snuck into Target early this morning, Starbucks in hand, and it was quiet, stocked, with Christmas music playing.  *Sigh*... my favorite time of year.  I love holiday preparations.  Love it.  Call me crazy, but it's true.  Love decorating my home, shopping for gifts, wrapping gifts, spending time with my crew, change in the routine.    Throw in gingerbread lattes and it's pure heaven. :)

3299 has been busy, but our fall sports are over, so it's not quite as nutty as it was there for a while.  School has been busy, too.

Here's my Little People, ready for the Thanksgiving Feast with their grandparents.

This is the Gratitude Tree we made.  On each leaf is something the children are thankful for-- always so cool to see what lies in their little hearts. :) 

After all that, the Boys and I loaded up yesterday and headed to Athens.

We had tickets to the UGA- Kentucky game {courtesy of our fairy godmother} and we needed to pick up Miss Erin for the Thanksgiving break, too.

Sea of red and black outside the stadium.

Great day to be a Dawg fan!

So fun to share the day with her!

Today, we got Junior back in the fold as well.  Everyone is napping (except me), in preparation for a family dinner tonight, and a nice week of catch up and festivities ahead.

Off to Albany on Wednesday to celebrate Thanksgiving, home on Friday, dinner party Friday night, and then the decorating is ON!!

If you get a chance, check out my guest post on 1000 Gifts over at Fancy Little Things today.  You'll see there where I am in my list. :)

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, too!  Ciao!