One: My love of writing...All my life I had a way with words, whether that was writing a sorry note to my parents for being a sassy teen or opening up in a real and honest love letter...I didn’t mind, almost looked forward to writing an essay and I have had a successful young adult career and liked putting together projects, policies and reports. Words came easily to me and writing always seemed to be my creative release...I really try to tell it like it is in the letters, emails, texts and chats I have with friends and family...So, words to me are powerful...good or bad...I have been burned by words, moved by words, accepted because of words and loved deeply because of words...So it all just feels really right to write this all out...



 
 
 
Two: I’m out there regardless so I might as well blog it....My life’s an open book and now literally an open blog...But there have been moments that words I have written weren’t meant for the masses or others and yet they got out there to my disbelief and dismay...My wedding would be a perfectly good example of this...I gave my dad a letter the morning of my wedding basically telling him how very happy I was that I found the one for me, thanking him for his support and for loving me, the kind of very personal things a girl might say to her dad on her big day...But I decided to write it in a letter so he would have it as a memory of the day...What a moment in life walking down the aisle with your father...I will never forget it...But another blog for another day..
 
 
Back to the letter, it was very personal and was meant for only him...Bless his soul, he had no idea how mortified I would be, he was just touched by the letter so decided to read it word for word as his Father of the Bride speech...I had to just breathe through that moment- Most people were touched but Craig my husband, knew in the moment that I couldn’t believe it was happening...I almost thought my dream to be on a Candid Camera type prank show was happening- I thought he would start the letter and I’d be a bit embarrassed but then cameras would come out and I’d be pranked...I love pranks shows...When Craig and I moved to Dublin, Ireland I tried to convince him to buy a videocamera so we could start our own prank show and then try to sell in around to either Much Music, MTV or Sky 1...Sweet Jesus, I was 23 and really thought it was a brilliant idea and that it would work...Craig wanted no part in any of it...Anyways,Craig knows how much I want to be pranked my whole life, so I truly thought for a moment that was what was happening...but no such luck, my dad read the whole letter- And,I mean a few pages long....But C'est la vie...You take in the moment regardless and now looking back, maybe that moment, and others like it all played a part in now pushing me to blog. Maybe my dad without knowing it was doing his part in my life- putting out my raw and heartfelt words and the shock of having everyone hear them so openly, might have stirred up something in me creatively that needed to get out....
 
So since it all seems to come out anyways, I might as well be the one to tell my side of things and open up to y’all...SideNote: I love saying y’all- I live in Canada and rarely do you hear it said but for some reason I weirdly love it..Might have to do with my slight crush on Ellen...what a hopeful, funny, creative woman...Ellen, this is a ShoutOut...I think you are the most hopeful person around, so kind and genuiune...I bet you're just a hoot to work with...And I'd absolutely love to know first hand...Please hear me out in Operation Ellen....Anyways, Ellen busts out with y’all at least once in her show, so now I say it all the time without even meaning to. The really funny part is, I live in a remote little town in Northern Canada where it would take you days of driving to even hear an American accent...So, it makes it all the more unusal when I bust out with it...It's one of Craig's petpeeves about me but I like it regardless, so it stays..
 
 
 
Three: My world changed and I fell in love with Noal...My baby boy who is my sunshine...He has changed my world and inspired me to be a kinder, more creative, calm, fun and balanced person...He also has inspired me to write more ~ To leave words for him to remember these moments in our lives together...It started when I was pregnant after constantly hearing woman forget what they felt or remembered about being pregnant or the first few years with their babies...
 
 
 
So, I wanted Noal to know one day who I was when I raised him, what I was feeling and the journey we really went on...I find myself wanting to know who my Mum was back when I was first born-She shares the bits she remembers but I find myself wondering who she really was when I was a baby, a little girl and a teen- I know who she was to me but to have her thoughts and view of our life together would be priceless...So, I want Noal to be able to have that...So, Letters to Noal is my way of leaving him with a way to know who I was and what I was feeling when he was born, when he first said mumma, took his first steps, first said he loved me and so on moments throughout his life...My hopes for him, my fears for him, moments I was overjoyed and beyond proud of him...I want to leave him with a bit of me but also alot of him- his life through my eyes...So my Letters to Noal will be featured on the blog as they were a major inspiration to write....
 
Four: My world changed completely when I had Noal but my world was rocked upside down when I received the news that my baby girl, Reid had Down Syndrome...I have been as openly raw & honest about my emotions during this time in my life & promise to continue to do so... There have been other parents who have reached out to me, inspired hope & helped show me the beauty in raising a child with Down Syndrome...I know this journey with Reid will be different than what I envisioned & that there will be some grieving in this process...I know also that Reid will bring so much that I could never have possibly known my little family needed until now...
So, Reid will also have “Letters to Reid” featured under Beautiful Reid in which I share my thoughts, worries & love to this precious little girl...Reid’s family & friends will also be sharing letters to her that I hope oneday she reads back & knows just how much she’s already inspired people...
 
 
Five: I became addicted to Pinterest and my husband was constantly telling me if I was a kid I'd get grounded from Pinterest...The ideas, creativity and inspiration I found from others made me want to become a happier, healthier more creative person...
It also challenged me to want to live up to what I was pinning...For example; I have a ~Skinny Jeans~ board {with plenty of at home workouts, things such as a Brazilian Butt workout}
The problem is, I feel like it gives the illusion to others that I’m all about fitness, eating healthy, and getting down with my funky self...I will say, I’m all about trying fitness dvds...I’d much rather salsa my way slim then do a workout at the gym...I’m so that girl, who did Tae Bo, Carman Electra’s striptease aerobics, bought the Pilates dvds when it first was a rage and now I'm a participate at a mum and baby yoga class...
The thing is, I wish I was the person who actually posted the Brazilian Butt workout because I was doing it, but instead I felt like a fake and that I was misleading others to think I was the person my boards portrayed me to be...So, the inspiration to change my life and become that person I'm portraying or pinning my life to be made me want to be accountable through this blog. So friends, you can look forward to finding out how the Brazilian Butt Workout went, if the sockbun curls really work and if I can make something out of a mason jar....
 
 
Six: The 6th thing that inspired this blog is the feeling that I want to pass on something in life and maybe by blogging I can...I know it may sound trite but I want to leave this life hoping I touched people’s lives or at least was known as being a Happy Soul...So, Pin One is from my ~Wise Words~ board...It is a quote that my Grandma use to say to me when i was a little girl;
 
So, my dream is by opening up about my life in a honest, real and funny way, I’m hoping others find a bit of happiness along the way...I also want to pass on what I learn about having a more balanced, creative, peaceful, happy life to my kids, my dog, my hubby and my readers.
Thanks to those who have already supported this little blog venture of mine...Your positivity, creativity and help along the way has made it what it is ...And Craig special thanks to you my love, for putting up with me while I put this all together...A blog is alot of work behind the scenes just learning how it all works and putting it together...I didn’t realize the amount of hours and design work it needed, but strangely I absolutely loved doing it and I'm so looking forward to sharing it with all of you...


So, here we go...Thanks a million for coming on the ride...





 



 

Credit: Photo of my family- http://www.justinaphippen.com 
Wedding photo- http://www.karitasphotography.com




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