Blogging again

 

It has made me happy to return to blogging about all kinds of stuff.  I guess I could say it is good therapy to keep busy doing something I love on my path to getting "normal" again.  My blogs are listed on the right side of this blog.  Some of them are still closed for now.

My life has reached the point where the heavy grief of losing The Captain and Kiki is a passing phase of grieving.  Instead of crying all the time, I am thinking of all the happy memories that are bringing a smile to my face.  The grief now feels lighter even though it will never go away, manifesting itself into different phases.  I know the coming holidays will be rough again.

The road to online selling has been on my mind and so has the desire to make jewelry and be creative.  A huge part of my life has been creating stuff and I miss that so much. 

As in the past, I will be listing my latest and updated blog posts on this blog.  Here they are for November:

Gina's Italian Kitchen

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Turtle Brownies

Crab au Gratin Pizza

Shrimp Creole

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

Picadillo

Pimento Cheese

Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti

Stuffed Pizza Bread

Fabulous Frugalista

Avoid Christmas Debt When Cash Is Tight

The Frugal Mindset

Replacing Your Washer or Dryer

Thoughts From A Frugalista

New beginnings

 

There are not enough hours in the day!  I'm getting things ready to reopen a new and improved Crow's Nest Jewels.  My mind never shuts down with all the new ideas.  So . . . sometimes I just have to let out a bit of a scream.

We haven't gotten the house in order since the hurricane and it is so frustrating!  Hurricanes are the only thing I hate about living in Florida.  You never know when you will be the one to get hit.  All of that had gotten to me with depression and anxiety, just wanting to give up.  Then there was Covid . . . but I am in a different frame of mind since I decided that no matter what, I'm getting Crow's Nest Jewels open and doing what I love.  

Creating new jewelry and working with the vintage jewelry is what I love most and I have put it aside way too long.  Moving in another direction has really made a change in my mental attitude.

My Etsy shop will reopen soon, but I will also diversify and sell from my Crow's Nest Jewels Facebook page as well as You Tube for doing auctions and buy it now sales.  So I have lots of work cut out for me, but I am really enjoying the process of creating and making these changes.

Hope everyone is happy and healthy, making it through the craziness of this world we live in.

 

Some Thoughts From May 2014

ORIGINALLY POSTED MAY 2014

IN LABELLADIVA.COM

Seems like since I was hit by that nasty flu or virus, whatever you want to call it, I have not been able to pick myself back up.  I've heard from others who were hit by the virus that it was a nasty one, but to last this long?  All I want to do is sleep!

My intentions are always positive that "today will be the day I can get up and go" . . . but it is not happening!  Human nature makes us so impatient!

As usual, my food blog remains active since I'm always looking for great recipes . . . since I've been spending a lot of time resting in bed, the Food Network and the Cooking Channel have been what interests me and I am finding more great recipes than I haven't had time to post!

This week at Gina's Italian Kitchen, I have featured Oven Baked Breakfast Tacos that look delicious, easy and the variation possibilities are endless . . . also freezable! Kelsey Nixon's Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Creamy Mac and Cheese is one of the first new meals I'm going to try since Mac and Cheese is a popular item in our kitchen! Can't wait to try out Guy Fieri's Spicy Polenta Cakes to put my stomach on fire with the jalapeno peppers :)

The Captain and I missed the Cinco de Mayo festivities, but we are gearing up for some spicy happenings in the kitchen when we are feeling better!  Lots more Tex-Mex type of recipes coming!

Something I found for the crafters who love to design their own jewelry will love the DIY Rhinestone Statement Necklace . . . I can't wait to get back into creating! 

While Peace, Love and Happiness has been sapped by not feeling well, this time has been one of self-reflection and being so grateful and blessed for where I am compared to one of the lowest points of my life when my first husband JR passed away.  It is so easy to get caught up in our day to day irritations that momentarily rob us of our joy and happiness, but it takes looking back at desperate times to appreciate these little things that usually pass quickly, making way for the next catastrophe, right?  The post "Picking Up the Pieces . . . Putting Them Away" ponders those thoughts.