a happy day and i think i know why

I have declared today a no-work day. No internet either. I only briefly connected to confirm a meeting schedule for tomorrow but that was it.

Last night I had dinner at my parents' house and stayed all the way until today. It was a rather spontaneous decision, and it also felt like something I needed to do. I needed to be away from my home which is currently in transition. I needed to be away from the distraction of too much familiarity and the lull of habits.

Kendo practice last night was surprisingly satisfying and I even surprised myself. I slept like a baby, for the first time since I can no longer remember when. With my breakthrough (I think that's what it was) in kendo, a lot of other things also gained clarity. Like something clicked into place and as a result other things started to slide towards their own proper spaces.

Or it could just be some form of pre-birthday thing. It will be my birthday next week.

I woke up this morning with a light heart and a positive energy. I cooked myself breakfast and wrote my morning pages while I ate. Then I mapped my creative journey on two pages of a sketchbook - it's the first time I did this and it was very helpful and inspiring. I identified what I could work on. The rest I left to faith. Then I spent a couple of hours reading quietly in the sunny backyard, making notes, opening myself up to the questions that come up in the book I was reading (Foolsgold by Susan G. Wooldridge).

Then a hearty home-cooked lunch with my family.

Then I went to help my sister design shoes for selling. We were at it the whole afternoon and our fingers ached but it was one of the most fulfilling and satisfying day ever. It was the first time I designed shoes because the previous times I took care of inventory lists and I also had Other Business work.

We were quiet sometimes and we were laughing out loud sometimes. But we kept on creating and crafting and thinking up pretty thoughts. I wished I didn't have that meeting tomorrow so I could have done another pair and maybe stayed over for another night. As I sewed, more ideas came to me and my heart leaped with excitement and oh, I could not wait to get to that point when I would just be creating and crafting all these pretty things and they will be selling like anything and we will be happily living on what we earned.

This is how it would feel everyday when I am living the creative life I have always dreamed of.

Soon, soon...

unexpected turns of the day

The plan was:

Go to the market to buy fabrics and plain shoes. Then go to my parents' house to do Other Business work and finish it by 5PM -- I wanted a no-distraction environment and not have to prepare my meals so I could finish everything early.

What actually happened:

I was not feeling too well when I woke up. I think my brain was trying to slowly get into work mode and so much of me was resisting it. We got to the market at least half an hour later than planned. Since I did not get to eat breakfast (because I was feeling sick-ish) I suggested brunch before the buying. So we got a very cheap but very delicious meal for two for only Php120.00. As we were polishing off our plates, a woman walked by selling freshly swirled ice cream in cups for Php10.00.

Then we got the plain shoes and the fabrics for the next batch of projects. On the way home we made a side trip to my grandma's (unplanned - we thought since we were passing by the same street we might as well drop by). 

As to be expected, my grandmother has transformed her home in time for Valentine's Day.

She has also handcrafted items for selling and gifting. Little dolls adorn recycled plastic bottles that have been redesigned to be container bowls.

She kept a few pieces for her own home. This is her favorite.

She was also excited to give me her birthday gift. Yay!

And she gave me my own dolled decor as an extra Valentine gift. :)

Then I had to rush home because the cable guy was in the lobby to check my cable box which has not been working for three days. I ended up going home, having the cable fixed, and then falling into a tired nap. It was mid-afternoon when I finally got back to my parents' house.

My sister and I had rice cakes and coffee for afternoon snack.

I tried getting started at work while my sister started on redesigning the shoes. Oh, how I envied her!

And then I found out that my dad had been to the post office and picked up a package for me -- my other Etsy order of knitting needles! Well, at least that's one bright spot as I struggled to concentrate on getting a report done.

My mom called us to dinner at around 7PM and as we ate the TV was on and we all ended up watching The Accidental Husband. 

I decided to head for home and try finishing the work before going to bed. It was already 9PM. My sister was stil working on another pair of shoes when I left.

And now I am blogging as I take a break from the work that has been pushed away in so many ways for so many times. *sigh* I must get this done then I can schedule some serious crafting time with my sister.

How did your day turn out?

a tiny break

Just finished five long data-gathering sessions in the past three days and tonight is my tiny break before I begin the data analysis and report-writing by early tomorrow.

For now I share some snapshots from the past few days when I managed to snatch a few minutes to myself from all the work.

my sister and i wore our happy shoes to add bright spots to grueling days

my friend dropped off fresh stock for the store. we hope to open shop sometime in the first half of February

last night i was able to cook for dinner and i adapted from my cousin's recipe of pork tenderloin with vegetables

How has the week been treating you? I'm dying for a full night of sleep!