Happy (late) Thanksgiving? ...

          While everybody is busy getting their holiday posts ready, decorating their houses nice, preparing food for Thanksgiving, traveling to see family or whatever else everybody is doing, I was so tired working 10h days so I can make up hours to be able to have Friday off.
          I've been working thinking a lot about my shop, trying new ideas, and wondering what would be the next best step. It's exciting to see people's faces when they see your work.

{photo via}

          But, because this time of year we sit down and count our blessings, I'd like to list some of my blessings this year.

          I'm thankful for God's provision. Finally, this year we moved to our little place, and as every day goes by, we can feel God's guidance and see that this decision was a wise one. Every sunrise I see on the way to work, I thank God for His presence in my day. It's like He's smiling at me, assuring me it's gonna be a good day, no matter what will happen.

          I'm thankful for creativity. It's wonderful to explore, learn, experiment, and in the end see the amazing results of your work.

          I'm thankful for my hubby. Because he's mine. all mine. and he's awesome. and handsome, on top of that! (score!!) - I'd have to write an entire post why I'm thankful for my hubby, so I'll just stop here.

          I'm thankful for friends. In the last year, I've realized how great it is to have 2-3 friends that you can talk with, share your concerns, encourage each other, have fun and so on. Grow up together. Challenge together.

          I'm thankful for the ways God choses to teach us new lessons every day. You criticize someone else's lack of something, but at the end of the day, you realize you're not better than him/her.

         I'm thankful for today's technology. and all the good ways we can use it. Keeping in touch with friends, marketing your ideas, selling and buying so on so forth.

          I'm thankful for trials. They make us stronger. and our faith bigger. and take our trust in God to the next level. 

Another beginning...

          For a November day, it's very sunny and warm outside. The kind of days that you enjoy your cup of coffee, trying to work, with an eye to the window, wishing you could just go dive in a pile of leaves. But I'll stay here for a while... I have something to share with you.

          Last year around this time, my hubby told me one day: "Why don't you start making cards and invitations if you really like it?". I made our wedding invitations, our Menus and table numbers(they were 2 in 1), our place cards at our wedding. So that made me thinking...

{photo via}

          I didn't know where to start from, but with help from friends (Erika at Shine On introduced me to etsy community - thank you, Erika!), encouragement from my hubby and tons of moments of discouragement, creatinkart was born. How I like to call it, the place where paper gets fancy. Where the magic happens - a small piece of paper becomes a way to share a smile, to tell stories, to remind others how loved they are. An invitation to your birthday, to a girl's bonding party, to a baby shower; even a wedding. This framed little princess dress is just one of the items in the store. Curious?.. Take a look!!!... Afterwards, I'd be glad to hear your opinions. In the end, I'm making them for you... :) 

        Enjoy!

Friday Letters {4}

{photo by me}

          Dear shop I'm thinking to open, please please please work out! I really love you and I hope people will be able to see my passion through you! (blog post to follow with more info on this one:)! )

          Dear rain,
               suddenly, I love you! You don't make me want to stay in bed anymore. I want to be productive! Your lovely sound in my window is the best soundtrack for my work!

          Dear little blog of mine,
               don't be sad. I was unorganized and didn't make time for you. But don't you worry, I missed you too!!

          Dear readers,
               would you accept my apologies?

          Dear me,
               Learn your lessons faster!

       
Have a happy weekend!

The strongest muscle in your body...

          My hubby recently discovered a site with weird facts about human body. I was amazed to find out the tongue is the strongest muscle. Giving it a second thought, it makes sense. It is the strongest, and not only biologically speaking (Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 18:21). Imagine this:

          Friday night. Your sister, your friend and you are getting ready to go out. As you are getting in the car, you yell at your sister because she borrowed one of your many bobby pins, then turn around to your friend, smile at her and compliment her on the shoes. Your fav  pair of shoes. None of them did ask for your permission to use your stuff. But you afford being a total bitch to your sister, she's always around.. You get to see your friend just once in a while.. right?...

          Well, that's messed up. Seriously. I did it: to my sisters, to my parents (all right, I never yelled at them, but you get the picture), to my husband. Same attitude, different situations. It's not funny, it's embarrassing. for me. and heartbreaking. for them. Even if they don't realize it. Sometimes, I'm ashamed of my acts and my words. 

          Today, I challenge myself. To be careful what I say. how I say it. and even more important, when I say it. because, being part of a family is the most wonderful gift you can ever receive.

what did you learn this week?...

Friday Letters {3}

Dear God,

     Thank you for your love. And because you never give up on us.

Dear Week,

     You've been very productive. I've seen what it actually means to be a nurse, I've finished editing those old pictures, learnt new things and thought a lot. 

Dear JFK, 

     Thanks for showing us this wonderful view! We'll be back next weekend to pick up our sweet friends.

Dear Hubby,

     You work too hard, you need some time to relax.

Shadowing

{photo via}

       
          This week I've been shadowing respiratory technicians and nurses at York Hospital.  I never knew what "shadowing" is until now, so I don't know if you know. Briefly, shadowing is when you follow around a person who is working on a job you'd like to start a career in, but you're not sure you like it. So, you want to get an idea of exactly what that job is. You're that person's shadow for a certain amount of time.
          I'll tell you from the start: it was ah-mazing!!! I've seen babies that fight for their lives, and people so sick they have no hope of living a normal life again. I've seen a baby coming into this world through a c-section, and forgot all about my anxiety of seeing blood. When you're there, watching things happening, or even much better, doing things, the last thought is "how much blood", or "that's gross" so on so forth. I can't wait to go to school and be a part of this.
          However, now that I'm home, I keep thinking of the similarity of what I did for two days and our relationship with Jesus. Of course, we are not as fortunate as the Apostles to actually follow Jesus around, but we can definitely spend time reading the Bible, trying to understand better and better what He wants from us.
          Are you willing to shadow Jesus?
          

On moving

{photo by me}

          When it comes to moving, I can say I'm a fortunate person. I've lived the first 19 years of my life in the same city, on the same street, with (almost) the same neighbors, in the same apartment. Eddie was not as lucky as me. They have moved around so many times, I get confused every time he tells me some of his memories. However, when time came for me to move, it was a huge change. I moved from Romania to New Jersey, USA. I don't know how much you understand, but let me tell you the difference is so complex, I'm still not 100% accommodated yet. And US have been my home for 4 years already. 

          The first year I longed to go back home. And I went. For 2 weeks. But it didn't feel like home anymore. I didn't know what to talk with my friends. Things have changed, I didn't know what bus to take to go from one place to another, stores closed down or moved and so on. I came back with a broken heart realizing the place where I grew, was my home. It was harder then when I first came to US. 

          A year later when I went back to Romania for 6 months (it was when I got married), I learnt how to let go. I learnt that my real home is not here, and I love how Peter says it: "Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it." (1 Peter 2:11 MSG). Right in my face. Impossible to interpret other way. I realized being with the ones you love is much more important than when or where you live. I've finally accepted that God doesn't move me around because He's bored. I've learnt a lesson that if I hadn't ever moved I would've never understand it; or even think about it. 

          Couple months ago my husband and I moved to our place. It's not a change as dramatic as the first one, on contrary, it's a blessed, very welcome and needed change. At this point, I'm open to any changes God wants in my our lives. As a family. I know I am blessed to be able to taste a little bit of heaven living my life next to the best husband ever. 

          Have you ever moved? What lessons have you learnt through these experiences?...