Jen Lee

Maybe Jen Lee has the answers. Saddended and remorseful feelings cross over me, through me and they burn me, while listening to her podcast on sober hopefulness.
Shit, now I am depressed.
How will I tuck the girls into bed now and still keep a positive attitude.
I just sent the following email to Jen Lee, regarding my feelings:
I did not know that was in there, in you, I mean.
You are touching my most secret unspoken about thoughts.
Why?
I am kind of irritated, not in the mood to confront my demons right now.
Why did you have to open that......
I am certainly feeling unsettled by your pod cast.
What are you going through?

Perhaps the same as me, but I am too weak
I am too proud
I am too fake 

I must be a fake Happy Hippie Housewife

I suck

Why do I have a blog?

This is just my way of speaking out,and sorting things out. My musings, I am an eccentric Newport Beach housewife, probably born in the wrong era...a throwback to easier, more simple days, like when my Grammy was raising her kids. I love my wine while I cook, well, maybe a litttle more.  I am constantly searching for answers.  Maybe, just maybe, scrapbooking, knitting and crafting ARE the answers. You tell me.

Beautifully, simply written....

"Remember... When we explore our creativity. when we listen to our creative voices. when we try something new. when we stretch ourselves. when we are full of bliss. when we share our happiness. when we reach out to others. when we seek to tell our story. when we grow. when we are brave. when we make time for ourselves. when we accept the heartache. when we learn from our mistakes. when we let ourselves shine. when we laugh out loud. when we let love in. when we REMEMBER to search with in ourselves that's when you find YOU"
- Elizabeth Kartchner
elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com


I am thinking that this beatuful girl has been in my brain.  It is possible, in a quantum physics way.


Super looking forward to the Reflections event in MAy at the Hyat in NB!

Family Photoshoot

I am so excited about our family photoshoot coming up next week.  i rarely get to have my photo taken, since i am usually the one behind the camera.  My friend, Anastasia is an amazing ARTIST.  I am so honored that she is taking our photos!
http://www.anastasiapercell.net/

Goddess Guidance

I read the guidebook and have listened to the mediation for the second time tonight.  Tonight was special, though, because i listened to it with my 2 little minigoddesses 8 and 5 yrs old.  We cried together over our wise old goddess holding our hands.  Thank you .  it was so moving.  Tomorrow, me and my little angels are going to the beach to create our projects.  We each have our ideas about the art we will create, which we envisioned from your meditation.
You are wise beyond your years.  You are an old crone in a young body.  You are so blessed and gifted. You gave me the words that I didn't know how to say to my darling little girls.  i cannot thank you enough.  Also, I met my old woman self for the first time in my life.  Thank you for introducing us. She is beautiful and confident and peaceful.  She is more than I have ever imagined.  Words cannot describe.
Peace and blessings to you, Goddess Leonie.
Thank you for your gifts.
Love Jillian

Oh Scrap!

Wow!  I am honored that my friends Jennifer and Mary at Oh Scrap! are selling my page kits!  So exciting and so fun!!!

I love being a PTA mom!

This is my very first editorial for the elementary school newspaper.  A little nervous to be honest in print, but, here goes!

If you had asked me when I was just a girl in Texas,"Will you join the PTA when you are a mother?" Most likely,  I would NOT have responded enthusiastically.
PTA was pretty much snub-nosed in my home.  My mother, Linda never had a chance to exert her own independence before I was born. She married young, 22 yrs old, and felt the need to exhume her rebellious, independent spirit at the same time as me...when I was in my early teens and she in her late 30's.
Oh, yes, it was so fun growing up in my house!
Today, I am 37.  I am the mother of 2 tiny, amazing beings, Olivia (3rd grade) and Samantha (Kindergarten) I like to wear frilly, embellished aprons when I cook, and I wish I had time to scrapbook every single family memory.
Sometimes I find myself dreaming that we live on a farm with no tv, phone, internet, video games, materialism, etc....so we could just bake, make art, play in nature, giggle and smell like patchouli all day long.
Back to reality ...of course I enjoy material things.  I just feel this longing and need to be part of the bigger picture, the more simpler picture,  for those 2 small girls that my husband and I brought into this world.
I have enjoyed this happy, joyous, protected land of -----Elementary for the past 3 years.  I want it to continue.  I want it to be even better than it has been.  Can you blame me?  You love it here, too, don't you?
This newspaper is the place where your kids can publish their haikus, short stories and paintings. Proud moms, PLEASE send me your photos and article ideas
Come to the ------paper  to find out what is going on and how to get involved.
Come to the next PTA meeting, share your amazing talents and gifts with our community.

You wont regret it, and your kids will love you for it.
Thank you for letting me share this school year with you, and for putting up with my soapbox!

Do you have something to say?
Email me!
I dare you.

Jillian Forrester
Editor

The secret life of bloggers.....

Wow!  i am blown away. 
People blog, people i didn't even know about have been bloggeing for over a year!  Who are we?
Who are you?
Do we really ever know anyone anyways????

Another fun time at the Dunes

Who doesn't love an old fashioned trailer park party with old friends?  Especially in Newport Beach.  FABULOUS!
xoxo Love you Dunlaps

Me time!

Tonight we went out with new family friends to dinner.  They are from Wales and I could just listen to them chat all night long!  I decided to make time for my scrapbooking passion this evening, and so now find myself going to bed now at nearly midnight! Also, I enrolled in an amazing new inspiring course about being the goddess that I am.  I can't wait, Leonie! Also, I just applied to be part of the Label Tulip Deign Team.  I really , really, really hope they pick me! TGIF, and buenos noches!  Hmmm, did I spell that right in espanol?

Getting into the groove....

I am finally figuring out this back to school schedule. it goes like this: 7:00am wake up get kids dressed. Rush through breakfast and get to school on time. Go to school to take photos for the Lincoln Log (school newspaper). I am the reporter, photographer, editor.....Go to gym, squeeze in workout, pick up Samantha, get snack, pick up Olivia, get snack. Go to 2 soccer practices, come home make dinner, bathe kids. Feed bird and dog.
On my way to NMUSD duplication services to have the summer edition of the log printed.
No wonder I hardly have time to scrapbook anymore!

Thinking about back to school....

Rob is taking the girls camping this weekend to El Capitan. I will be here, taking care of the pets, and my PTa mom responsibilities began...I have to put together the entire elementary school newspaper for publication by Friday of next week. Also, I am team mom for Olivia's soccer team and need to get the banner ordered, snack schedule nailed out, patches ordered....also, I promised a friend I would make a wood box example for her blog as part of her design team. Samantha has her kindergarten "meet and greet' in the morning. I wish I could stop over-committing myself, and just breathe, in the moment. Just enjoy the present...am trying to "go gently", as Susannah has taught me.
We had to resue Rob from the ER this morning. He also has overworked himself. So much so that his 5AM workout caused his bloodpressure to plummet and he passed out. He had an IVdrip for 4 hours this am. The girls and I experienced the Long Beach Emergency Room-super interesting. Heart attacks, kidneys stones, drug OD's all around. I guess I am happy in my quiet bubble of NB.
I think we all need to realize that relaxing and meditation are equally as important as goals and financial success. It has certainly become my goal over the last few months, to try to be more awake in the moment and do what pleases my soul.
I think Rob finally sees the light. This made him realize that he should stop saying "yes" so often, as well.
Ahard thing to do, for us both.

Samme Fairy

Samme Fairy
Originally uploaded by Happy Hippie Housewife

I am so happy to have found this photo! I thought I lost it. Samantha was only 1 and a half. And now she is 5 and starting kindergarten in one week. I think I am freaking out. Time moves to quickly. I know I will cry next week on her first day.
This was a really happy day at our home. It was Olivia's 4th birthday party. It was hot. Samantha was all red and sweaty. But she would not let go of that bucket, or take off those wings!
My sweet little luv fairy.

Be Present Retreat

I really want to go to this retreat in Manzanita, Oregon. i am working through my Unravelling e-course now. I will continue with part 2 which is offered in September. The Be Present Retreat seems like my next step in this self-discovery process.
Some of the Unravelling has been difficult for me to conquer, like the family stuff. specifically my parents. Perhaps i will just ignore that for a while and do the next writing exercise. Or maybe I will just use a picture of my grandparents. In fact, there is one I stare at every day, right here on my bulletin board. it is of Irv and Jean walking down the aisle at my wedding. My maternal grandparents. jean was my maid of honor. In the back ground of the photo is Jude Morton, my uncle Bryan's wife. i love this photo of my grandparents. it makes me feel happy, nostalgic, a little teary for the sweet memory of that day. this photo reminds me of how i felt walking down the aisle, too. My dad was in more of a hurry than me, for some reason. I wanted to walk really slow and enjoy each breath. I was overwhelmed with emotion. i had to tell him to slow down. He didn't, though. Maybe he was nervous? I remember he also spilled a full glass of wine on me and didn't say he was sorry-all over my wedding dress. some friends from high school happened to be spying on my wedding. They were not invited, we had lost touch. They helped me dry it off in the ladies room. Funny what kind of memories surface from just one photo of my grandparents!

A new journey of self reflection

Hello from sunny southern California! It is 82 degrees today. Outside my window are fragrant, pale yellow blooms in the Magnolia trees, enormous hot pink hibiscus flowers and 2 giggling little girls swimming in a cold jacuzzi tub, while wearing snorkeling masks. I spent the past weekend scrapbooking with friends who were in town from Vegas. This week I am ready to embark on a new journey called "Unravelling." I will be posting photos in my new FlickR photo stream. This is all a very new and exciting commitment for me. I hope to learn about myself and my creative process.

Yoga, or Interpretive Dance?

Last night Olivia begged me to Yoga with her in the morning. So, after breakfast, we turned on FitTv, and began our routine. True to her 7 year old nature, she lost foccus after about 10 minutes and began her own entertaining routine. Samantha said, "I will just copy you, mommy." since it was her first time. Liv said, "or you can do what I am doing!" And she coutinued to entertain me with twisting pretzel moves and floor excercises of her own creation. It was very humorous!