The Fogue Abode

After this past weekend, with Thanksgiving and what not, I felt like the side dish. 



I was the not so fun looking stack of green beans way in the back.  At least that's how I felt.

So where is this going?  Let me catch you up with The Abode's {BIG SECRET}, have you noticed that new Etsy badge on the side bar over there?  Well, I have teamed up with my mom and we started a side business.



I'm actually so pumped for this adventure, we are creating handmade wooden signs which are now available for purchase through our Etsy shop Bushel and a Peck Signs.  It has been a labor of love which has taken a lot of focus and creativity away from my blog.  But not to worry, I'm still around and still planning projects.  Like I said in this post when I was sorting out my feelings, it's just going to be more sporadic and full of some great projects.  (Like the guest room I'm currently 10 feet into.)




So why am I feeling like soggy green beans next to the delicious cranberry sauce and juicy turkey?  Just the highs and lows of starting a business.  We recently returned from our first vendor event and let's just say expectations were not met.  So I'm just sitting here drowning myself with the gravy boat.

Terrible iPhone Photo credited to Me

That's life and that's business so I'll dust myself off....
I seriously didn't want you guys wondering where I suddenly vanished too.  It has just been busy around the Abode building this adventure.

So with all that being said, make sure you check out our new Etsy Store.    FOR BEING LOYAL READERS, I'M OFFERING YOU GUYS 30% OFF YOUR PURCHASES NOW THROUGH CHRISTMAS!  Use Code ABODE for your discount.

Leave us feedback and let me know what you think of our signs and watch Etsy this week for new listings. 

Hey guys, I'm pumped to be over on Arkansas Women Bloggers to share how much my family has grown these past two years.  Jump on over and show some love.  Keep checking back for more great content from other Arkansas Bloggers.

http://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/evolution-family-wordless-wednesday/

For this Christmas enthusiast, finding a way to get in some Thanksgiving love among all my Christmas décor is a struggle.  Today, I'm going to show you what we have developed as a family to be thankful among all the Christmas festivities.

Since I have a sick little one today, I'm taking advantage of the down day to get our Christmas stuff pulled out.  I love the beauty and splendor of Christmas and am among the half that believes it should be admired for more than one month.  I mean, I put my fall stuff out the first of September, why not enjoy my Christmas for just as long?  But then, the guilt sets in from missing out on Thanksgiving.

To have my cake and eat it too, I have set up our Thankful Shelf.  This is a fun interactive way to share what we are thankful for this year as a family. 



The what you'll need is pretty simple:

Cricut Explore Air™
Cardstock
Jute
Clothes Pins

I used the Cricut Explorer Air to cut out our leaves.   Then, we just jot down each day what we are thankful for and pin it to the shelf.





What a fun and simple backdrop for your Thanksgiving table this year. 

This is about the 326th draft I've sat down to write about life.  No, you won't find any fun DIY projects or holiday décor ideas in this post.  You will find the ramblings of my quarter-life crisis as I'm referring to it.



Where to begin, I feel at times that I have bitten off more than I can chew lately.  Part of me feels that it is to fill a void in my life.  What started as an interview for an exciting new position with my company back in May turned into my husband taking a job in our home town and me staying right where I'm at.  Part of me is shouting for joy to have him home.  We've spent our whole marriage with both of us working away and 75% of the time he was on nights.  Now, our goal of having him home and on a semi-normal schedule has come to fruition.  But, the other part of me resents my choice of family for missed career opportunities.

I struggle with a common conundrum that many 21st century women face.  I left college with a world of dreams and excitement to build my career into a prosperous and exciting life.  Then a child happened.  What was my main objective was suddenly in my review mirror.  She became my life's focus.

Now, I struggle with the tug of war between having a career or being a present mom.  Because, let's be honest, only the select few get to have it all.  And, no matter how much feminist try to change this fact, it's still blatantly clear that women can only wholly have one or the other.  You can have a successful career in which you spend 50+ hours a week away or you can be a present mom who spends what little time she can earning an income for her family just to maximize the time with her family.

So here I sit questioning my life's goals and everything I have work towards...is this a quarter life crisis?  In an attempt to be more present in my daughters life I have given in to more "big ideas" to help me achieve this new found dream of having it all.  Here I am, overworking myself with blogging, side gigs and direct sale businesses to ironically be able to afford more time with my children, but where has it left me?  A plate stacked too high with dirty dishes and it's tumbling down on my sweet little family.

Back to square one...how do you fit the square peg of a career gal into the round hole of mommy?