P H A I N

This month I... - Was a bridesmaid in my friend Becca's wedding! I'm honored to have been present for the start of their new life together. -Have been gearing up for another Oddities show in Tulsa. It's next month, so I'll be posting about it more at the end of February. But here's a couple things I've been working on! -Got a new friend for the collection. Meet Rufus, the derpy bobcat. Matt and I drove an hour to get him and he now sits proudly on the piano until we can potentially find a more suitable place. Matt pets him and tells him he's pretty. Apart from lots of work and lots of lazy days when we can get them, this month has flown by with not a lot of fanfare. I think we've recovered from the holidays and have begun preparations for the coming months. Between making lots of new bug things and wedding planning, I keep my mind busy.

This has been a pretty amazing year. I love looking back at what I've done in the past year and looking forward to what's to come. This Year I... -Traveled to Chicago with Matthew We both were sick but we made some amazing memories, getting to be in the Willis building after dark, eating lots of pizza, exploring all over town and going to Medieval Times! -Opened an Etsy store Which I haven't done well with updates but I have made a couple of sales which just blows me away! -Bought a new camera It's a little silly how much I enjoy it. -Made 3 trips to Branson for much needed chill time It's Matt and I's go-to place when we need to just not worry about anything, even if it's only for a day or two.     -Took a big 2 week long trip to Yellowstone with several family members! While there I saw a moose, a bear, explored a ghost town, saw breathtaking scenery, ramb...

I have seriously been slacking. This time of year it seems I take on more while simultaneously taking it easy, if that makes sense. This Month I... -Started attending a Bible Study It's on Hosea and has really made me examine myself closely. It hasn't been comfortable and that's probably the biggest recommendation I can give. You don't grow when you're comfortable! - Saw Knives Out Truly one of the more enjoyable movies I've seen in recent months! Clever, well-made, and kept me guessing the entire time. 10/10 would highly recommend! -Celebrated Thanksgiving This year we didn't get around to doing a puzzle but everyone brought games and was such a good time! Good food, good company, and a full day of family fun. And most importantly, I won both games of Settlers of Catan.  I'm sure more happened but it has all been eclipsed with rushing around followed by bouts of abso...

You guys! This month went by so quick! And since we got snow at the end of the month, it felt more like winter than fall. October, while busy, was a little more sedate, settling into work rhythms and taking some down time. This month I... -Turned 30 I celebrated with a little get together with friends indulging in pizza, apple pie, and games, I believe a pretty good time was had by all. I hope this year will be one of the best yet, I have lots planned and hope I don't let it overwhelm me, it's all about balance and growth.  - Settled into a new church home Matt and I have been visiting a new church for several months now and we both feel like we're very welcomed and are excited to be part of this new community and beginnings of new friendships. - Hit up some amazing estate sales Seriously, it's one of our new favorite pastimes. We went to a sale in Atchison, MO, in a house built in the 1890's. We both fell in love with the house! So much charac...

This month I... -Was a vendor at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo (It was actually at the end of August, but, whatever.) This went so well! I sold my target amount and received so many kind comments and even had people return to buy more! I'm looking forward to next year and hoping to maybe expand to a couple shows. I was able to snag a couple amazing things while at the expo, including this adorable kitten! -Started wedding planning We booked our venue and found a photographer, both in our budget! -Saw IT: Chapter 2 If it's September, I'm already watching scary movies. But that's true nearly year round. -Walked around Parkville Nature Sanctuary  -Carved some acorns and pinned more butterflies! (Which you can find on my instagram!  https://www.instagram.com/eclecticcuriosities/ ) September has flown by and I'm looking forward to fall weather in the coming month!

I know it's not quite the end of the month, but the next few days are going to be crazy busy (I'll write about it in a separate post!) so I thought I would go ahead and post this month's review! This month I... -Went to lots of estate sales  I got this beauty and several other bones/oddities at a few different estate sales. This is Jolene (as dubbed by Matt) and now I need to go shopping for more wigs and little hats for her. I'm currently waiting on giant fake eyelashes for her too. - Got to Hang out with these kiddos I got to spend some one-on-one time with some of my nieces and nephews! We watched a movie, went swimming, and played at the park. Good times! -Watched the second season of Mindhunter Not everyone's cuppa tea, but if you have an interest in psychology or true crime, Mindhunter delivers. -Finished up some things for the Oddities and Curiosities Expo I finally got back into drawing...