An inviting place for individuals to share inspiring ideas
“ThErApiSts” and can come in many forms. For some it is a ProFesSioNaL who has spent years in school learning to HeLp others. For others it is a trusted FriEnD or CoNfiDaNt. For my husband it is our chocolate lab, WaLtEr. One of my “therapists” is “RuNniNg.
If you are needing a BoOsT, maybe it is time to go to the person or thing that LiFts your SpiRiTs.
What is your “therapist”?
:)
Robynn~
Life has proven to me that I FeeL the BeSt about WhO I Am when I push myself to TrY NeW ThInGs. Sure, trying new things may mean I could fail, but those setbacks usually contribute to building better confidence for the future.
A couple of years ago I wanted to put hardware on our kitchen cabinets. I try my best to help around the house, especially so I don’t have to bug my husband do it all the time. So, I got out the electric screwdriver, started drilling holes, all the while saying “I…CAN…DO…THIS!!!” 
Well, truth be told, I ended up messing up a few of the holes and had to ask my husband to help fix it. Even though he had to spend the same amount of time to fix the problem, he agreed it was good because I LeaRned about this for FutuRe projects. Maybe next time I won’t need his help at all!
Taking ChanCes and trying new things can be scary, but no one ever said building your self-esteem would be easy. Some people take risks because they know that if they fail, it may make them BettEr the next time and SuccEss may start to be the norm!
~Lara
Want a SuPeR EaSy & FuN little dessert? I call these “CoOkiEs aNd CrEaM” IcE CrEaM BaLLs:
{Ingredients}
{Steps}
4. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer.
These little treats are great for little MoUtHs and eating with your fingers!!
EnJoY!!
:)
Robynn~
Teaching a class full of InNoCeNt children is exactly what I was doing “WhEn tHe WorLd StOpPeD tUrNiNg”. While my class of first graders were getting ready to have their morning snack, our school nurse came to my room and told me that two planes had crashed into the twin towers. I had just been to the World Trade Center’s BuiLdiNg 7 two days prior to see my then boyfriend, now husband’s office. He was planning on going into the office around 9:00 the morning of 9/11 to drop something off. As the nurse continued telling me that the planes were part of a terror attack and that the buildings had collapsed I could not WrAp My MiNd ArOuNd what she was saying. It was as if information that could take a lifetime to comprehend was tucked into a two minute conversation. All I could say was “My BoYfRiEnD wOrKs ThErE.” 
Since I had just been to his office I knew exactly how close his building was to the towers and tried to call him on my cell phone. By now it was 11:00 a.m. and cell usage in New Jersey was completely hit or miss. I finally had a voice mail come through that Rob left me at 9:00 a.m. telling me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and that He WaS oK. I felt better but thought….ok since then another plane hit, the towers fell, and I had no idea if he had ever made it to his office. Luckily, he got a call through to me around noon and explained that he was on 31st street headed to work when the first plane hit and that he was fine. I was relieved but along with everyone else in AmErIcA that day, I felt numb. Our school finished the day with parents lined up to pick up their kids. I drove home and will never forget the sight of those two giant plumes of smoke that now replaced the buildings that I had TaKeN fOr GrAnTeD being able to view so easily every day of my life. Later that night building 7 was the third building to collapse.
Everyone has their story of where they were, how they reacted, and the change it made within them. My story doesn’t come close to anything that those who were there experienced or those who lost a loved one went through, but it will stay with me as a day that changed the world.
May we always PrAy for those who were lost and the families who suffered. Ten years later the gaping hole in the skyline remains proof that FrEeDoM iSn’T FrEe and that you must LIVE every day to it’s fullest.
Guest Writer Robyn, from New Jersey
Having a PajaMa ParTy is a regular occurance in our home. Sometime after dinner my daughter yells out, “Let’s have a pajama party!” Our PaRtY usually consists of vegging out in the living room, chasing each other in the front yard, or even helping Dad make chocolate chip cookies :)
It is easy for one to think they have to create something oUt of tHis World in order to have a memorable experience. More often than not, the MomeNts that are cherished the most are the ones that take the least amount of effort and come so NatuRally in our day-to-day routines. Is there something that you are already doing that has become a sPeciAL tradition in your life? Comment below…I’d love to hear what you do!
~Lara
Ok, so I really like AnTiQuE shops. This past weekend I visited some Kansas City shops once again. This time around I thought I would feature one I enjoyed visiting last time called, “BoTtOmS Up”.
I like this place for many reasons, one BIG reason is the building it is in: (There are a lot of other things I really like about this place such as old, industrial furniture taken out of banks, warehouses, factories, etc. to name a few.)
It is the old StOwE HaRdWaRe aNd SuPpLy Co. How cool is that?
So, you step into this old warehouse and here are the stairs. (The eLeVaToR isn’t working so enjoy the three flights of steps!)
What an InTrIgUiNg stairwell!
The ChiPpeD paint gives you the feel that this building is really, really old!
That is because it really is oLd!!
I love this tile mOsAic!
Here’s what I would have LoVeD to take home with me had: 1.) I had the room to transport it, 2.) The price was right, AND 3.) I had room for it in my house.
For some reason I am eNamOrEd with old tables. This one came out of a Westport hardware.
This old table I absolutely loved!! It came from an oLd sHoP cLaSs and had so many unique characteristics. I loved the metal legs that bolt to the floor, but most of all, I love that names that had been carved into the wood by students. (Sorry, I didn’t get a close-up of that – didn’t think of it until after I left.) What a cool piece to have as an island in your kitchen!
Like the LoCkErS!
Does this flag ReMiNd you of something? (For those of you who didn’t see that post, I made a homemade flag – similar to this one – around the 4th of July.)
They do have a FiEe EsCaPe. I had to take this pic for my friends Mark & Marilyn. (To see Marilyn’s I Am Story, click here.)
Anyone need a BaRn DoOr?
Browse a LiTtLe.
Wouldn’t this make a cool LoFt apartment?
BrOwSe some more.
More cHipPed paint.
So, what was I looking for this time around? Old caMerAs. I’m starting a collection of them. By collection, I mean three or four. And although I enjoyed my time at Bottoms Up, I hit JaCkPoT at Good Ju Ju. (For our past Good Ju Ju posts, click here. )
Yet another SuCeSsFuL day of antiquing!
:)
Robynn~
{By The Way}: If you like antiquing, there is a heap of antique shops in this area of downtown Kansas City. You can park and walk from shop to shop!
When I first started dating my husband, he always said something that really stuck with me: “Different strokes for different folks”. It wasn’t as if I had never heard that before, but that day it rang a bell in my mind as to how we should ReSpeCt the way people run their lives. 
I think as humans, we all have a tendency to look at other people and CoMpaRe what they are doing to what we do. Often times we ask the questions “Why in the world do they do it THAT way”, “Why don’t they do it like WE do?”, “Don’t they know OUR way is so much better?”
The hard part of this social comparison is that we don’t know the specific circumstances. Often times there are several PatHs that people can take that can ALL reach similar end goals. I too struggle with social comparisons, and when I do, I need to take a step back and RealiZe the other person may know what’s best for their situation.
~Lara
It is hard to believe that we have just completed mOnTh FiVe of the six-month dream challenge! For the last month (September) we are going to be FeAtuRiNg women who are LiViNg tHeiR DrEaM. We are excited to showcase their accomplishments. These women will be our Woman Of The Week (we will share their story on Fridays). We hope you EnJoY!!
Robynn~
I first heard this song at a HiGh ScHoOl GrAdUaTiOn sung by a group of SeNiOrS. What made this song so PoiGnAnT and left an ImPrEsSiOn was the fact that they had experienced, first hand, how short life can be. One of their classmates had died the previous year of cancer. They dedicated this song to her.
I especially love the words:
“…and I loved DeEpeR and I spoke SwEeTeR and I gave ForGivEnEss I’d been denyin’…”
Thanks for the lesson Humboldt High School Class Of 2005.
Robynn~
The Suede Sofa Blog 