Meet my Bloggy Friend, Ali!

I am so excited to have Ali from My Third True Love guest posting today! Ali and I "met" because we are both sponsors over at Primitive and Proper (hi Cassie!) and we instantly clicked. I mean, what's not to love...she's a thrifter, collector of swans and lover of chalkboard paint. My kinda gal! Not only is she a talented DIY'er balancing her creative life with being a wife and mother of 2 small children, but she also has an Etsy shop, Ooh La la Co. where she sells the cutest charm necklaces. Seriously, how cute is this Owl necklace?

So go check out her blog and her Etsy shop and I promise you will see why I think she's so awesome! Take it away, Ali....


Hello everyone!! I'm Ali from "My Third True Love" and I am so happy to be guest posting over here at Rebecca's awesome blog! I thought I would share a bit about how I juggle my DIY life with my family life. First and foremost, I'm a mom and a wife. BUT, I do have creative interests and feel like I deserve to dedicate some of my time to this little hobby we all know and love, DIY. It is a bit of a juggling act though, because sometimes the line between my time, and family time gets pretty blurry. Ok, let's face it, the line is more of a dashed line most of the time. That is why I have been making an effort to integrate my life as a mom & wife, with my third true love - DIY. Crafting with kids can be fun. Even the really simple things can be easy and rewarding. For instance, whenever we go to a friend's b-day party, we always wrap the package in brown kraft paper. This way, my son and daughter can color on the package with crayons and markers & make it all kid-fancy. Not only is the package adorable, but it's really personal too.

My son is almost 5 now and he is really into anything that has cause and effect. If I'm printing something on the computer, he's always right there to push the print button and eagerly waits for the printed paper to come out. Recently, he helped me use my Cricut machine (an Xmas gift from my hubby - oh yeah) to make this happy banner that we now have hanging in our kitchen. Baby sister was napping so Noah and I had some good solid one-on-one time together which was an added bonus. Not only did we get crafty together, but I got to remind him about some important safety rules (stay clear of the sharp blade, never touch the electrical outlet etc). Double mommy points there!

When I'm working on bigger projects, my first instinct is to wait until nap time so I can stay tidy and efficient. The less fingers in the paint, the better, right!? Well, I have recently tried to be better about allowing my little ones to explore with me and help. Even though at times it gets frustrating and it would go A LOT faster if I were working alone, the experiences that we are having are valuable ones. I know it. Luckily, kids typically have a short attention span and are on to something else in a relatively short amount of time. I definitely have my moments where I beg my husband to take them to the park so I can have at least one hour of PEACE. But I have to say, my family crafting time is becoming some of my most precious time.

Noah helped me paint the buffet we have in our kitchen and every time someone new comes over, the first thing he tells them is how he helped mommy "make" this. He's so proud & it's very sweet to see his enthusiasm and pride in our nice home.

HOWEVER, there is one thing I would steer clear of if you have the chance. I prefer to go thrifting without my kiddos. I need quiet. I need time. I need to roll up my sleeves and dive into the shelves and dig. The flea market can be hot and crowded and the last thing I want is to have to drag them down the aisles and pacify them with unhealthy snacks in order to keep my sanity (not speaking from experience here, of course).

Thrift shops are usually (always) dirty and crowded and there are lots of breakables very precariously perched on the overfilled shelves (and yes, that is my almost 2 year old daughter in our local goodwill eating a radioactive blue air-head taffy candy). Serenity now people, serenity now!So, If that last picture doesn't force you to call social services on me, take my advice: Craft with your kids when you can, and NEVER take them thrifting unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary.

Thanks again Rebecca, I had a blast!