april showers...

  Right now I am drinking raspberry/nettle leaf tea and eating a small piece of dark chocolate, dipping it into a spoonful of chunky peanut butter. The chocolate is a little treat after a stressful/drama filled work day. I've been doing a lot of work with food elimination and spending some time figuring out what works for me lately. I knew the obvious culprits, dairy, which I have avoided most of my life, and gluten, which I had been disregarding (much to the dismay of my aching, arthritic joints) and eating anyway. I was vegan from age 10-23 and had made a commitment to be so again but it's just not possible. I never really thought beans could be a sensitivity and grains (like every grain!!) but they are! For the last couple weeks I have been avoiding all beans (soybeans too) and grains and eating a little chicken and fish with lots of fresh veggies and a little nuts and a bit of potato or sweet potato and feel lovely! I was feeling so terrible and heavy and puffy, just miserable.

 See that farewell donut? A little vegan treat with raspberry glaze and coconut. so yummm but not only wheat but deep fried (another no no) and coffee. It's pretty much impossible to live in the Pacific Northwest and not love coffee, so many good ones, but I can't...  I choose health over momentary bliss. I can have decaf once in a blue moon, but that's it!!  My resolve is strengthened!

 The other day I got stopped as the bridge was going up and it was sooo lovely, one of our first moving into springtime mornings. So beautiful.

 TAGS TAGS TAGS!!! See my tags? I was buying similar ones for $9 (per 100) on etsy and then I had this little lightbulb moment and went to jo-ans and there it was, near the paper crafting supplies, a paper tag punch!! I had a coupon so I spent on $7 on it and I can use and kind of paper or cardstock but guess what? I make tags all the time! I go through 150-200 a week. I'm a one woman show! In addition to my esty shop I have a small retail space (I am #77) in the Fremont Vintage Mall and a larger purple walled space (also #77) in the Atlas Annex Vintage Collective. It's a lot of work (I'm grateful for it) and I've said it before (probably will again..), but being a single mama to two is my main job and between my mama life and work life, there isn't much energy left. It's a constant juggling act. I'm working towards a harmonious balance...

A nice golden brown day of thrift scores...

cat photo print socks!! I'm slightly obsessed with photo print especially in love with photo print florals. If anyone has a medium sized 90s baby doll dress n any color floral photo print, get a hold of me, I'll trade you!!

sunnies... I found a big bundle of vintage and deadstock 70s/80s shades and no scratches.

this guy... Something needs to be done. He's just this big ol body with little head and he get's bigger everyday! Tommy can't go outside due to brawling/injuries/infections/repeat surgeries and he just keeps packing on the lbs... He's on special prescription cat food for his recurrent u.t.i.s (we are a high maintenance lot around here, aren't we?) and just sits in front of his bowl idly eating at times.

   This video makes me happy, we made it last night. Be prepared to be amazed at my girls skills!! Domino is such a delightful little senior lady. She's tiny and looks like a kitten but is at least 9 or 10. Things get wild when there's fresh fish on the table!!

  If it's not raining tomorrow (today was rain all day) I want to take my little lady out to look at bunnies on a farm nearby. There is rabbit talk happening again. Urban farm expansion. The bees aren't happening this spring so a rabbit just might appear to perplex (they are so easily confused) our hens. Tomorrow I'll tell you about the 4 chicks that are currently peeping away in our basement! xo m