RiverDog Prints Card BlogPersonal | RiverDog Prints Card Blog

Happy 2nd Blogiversary!

Cyn — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:20:14 +0000

Yes, two years of insightful, earth-shaking posts!
Ha! Not quite, but I have met some great friends through this blog and learned a thing or two about my business and myself.

I wish I had a screenshot of the blog as I designed it a couple year’s ago. I do have my header (I must love me some red and deep aqua):

and a screenshot of my website’s front page from then, and my, how things have changed:

I always feel that this blog, like me, is a work in progress. I try, and sometimes fail, but keep going to shape this space into an extension of me and the life choices I make. When you stop by, read and make a comment, I appreciate it beyond what can be written here. Here’s to many more years – thank you!

OM :: The Peri to the Menopause

Cyn — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:06:01 +0000

The title makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Me too. It’s one of those realities of life that if you’re lucky to live long enough, you have to take a little weird with the good.

I remember when I was pregnant that I searched for a pregnancy experience similar to my own. I was validated by other women with some of the same “symptoms” I had, but there were experiences that remained a mystery. I read many books and those provided some solace, but not enough.

After I had my first child, I would speak to other mothers about their birth stories to find that commonality among us. I did natural childbirth, so I didn’t find many similar stories with my friends. I began watching “A Baby Story” on TLC during my maternity leave, searching for just one woman to say that what had happened to me had happened to her. Why did I need to hear someone else’s experience match my own? I’m not sure. Maybe it was to not feel so crazy.

Now, here I am, at another female crossroads. I’m 44 and think I may be experiencing some symptoms of perimenopause, but who knows? Who do I ask, besides my lady doc? Oprah? Suzanne Somers? Why does it have to be such a mystery? My moment is deciding to figure this out like the grown-up that I am. Being in my 40s may bring changes to my body, but it also frees my mind from so much of the Stuff that held me back in younger years.

Change is good, so bring on The Change.

:::

OM is *one moment* and is a meetup designed to notice & relish a moment in everyday life. The meetup idea was created by Linda at her blog, a la mode stuff.

If you’d like to participate in OM, just click the button and you’ll be taken to Linda’s post explaining it all.

Office Hours Posted

Cyn — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:00:21 +0000

From a conversation about working too much to…

Realistically thinking about my business needs to…

Meeting with my husband and coming up with a plan to…

The Office Hours on the door.
:::
Last week was the first full week to implement our new schedule and I would mark it a success. I haven’t quite gotten on the early morning bus yet, but it takes time for this old body to adjust. Part of this schedule is to live healthier, in both my personal and business life. Defining my time for myself and my family already feels better–healthier. There is work time, workout time and family time. It seems so simple, but I realize it’s hard work to commit to managed time.

I’m ready…

Run RiverDog Run

Cyn — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:00:24 +0000

I’ve started running again, yay me!

When I say again, I must give you a little background…

I’ve never been a runner, I’m more of a jogger, but it’s not cool to say jog anymore. That phrase got held back in the 70s and now it’s run. Because I like to be honest, I have to qualify my running with the adjective, slow. I’m not being modest or humble. I’ve been paced by elderly women.

Back in 2001, hubs and I decided to do something healthy together. We signed up for a half marathon for October of that year and literally started training in January. We did our due diligence and were able to race that fall. My goal was to finish and that I did. Mind you, I think I was four spots out of last place, but who cares? I ran 13.1 miles in one go and can cross that off my “Life List.”

I’ve dabbled in running since then, but no serious training. My goal now is to make it a part of my weekly routine. My 44-year-old bod actually needs to run, as opposed to walking, because I’d have to walk for triple the time to get the same benefit. I need efficient workouts, period.

Luckily, for my birthday last month, my husband really went all out on the technology gifts I’d been drooling over. I’ve been using the Nike + iPod Sports Kit. It’s a wireless sensor and receiver that work with my iPod nano to track my runs. I love it so far. And I’m hoping it helps in training for a 5-mile race me and the hubs are considering in October. He’s a natural runner, of course, and it’s just a little irksome that he makes it seem so easy. But I just do my jog…
and call it a run.

Best of the Blog :: My Failure as a Girlie Girl

Cyn — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:15:13 +0000

Originally Published :: September 2009

I’m always honest about my age (43, thank you very much!) I think I got that from my mom, who would boast about her age with a follow-up of “Don’t I look young?” I think looking good was never far from her mind, evident from the older photos I’ve seen of her in her 20s. The woman never ceased to have bright red lipstick on – you could even tell that from the black and white photos. And I must say that amongst all the criticisms any mom feels the right to dole out, mine could give a compliment that would boost your self-esteem to the perfect height. Maybe that contributed to my girlie-girl ruination…

I was a tomboy and I was never the girl who could keep her clothes or hair tidy and clean. I wasn’t opposed to wearing skirts and dresses, but I was the girl with her tights falling down, unaware of the rules that governed said skirts and dresses. Who says you can’t climb to the top of the monkey bars? And hiking up the tights with my skirt in the air long past the time it would be considered cute. My hair was always super-short, courtesy of mom. I think she may have cut my hair as a way to save money, as we didn’t have a lot to go around. And I think short was what she could manage. But I longed for long hair. I really wanted to wear my hair in braids, just like Laura Ingalls. I did manage to convince my mom to let me cut my hair like Dorothy Hamill when I was 11. Dorothy’s cut was a concession though – what I really, REALLY wanted was Farrah Fawcett’s hair. Clearer heads prevailed, but it was still a disaster.

I guess being female, we all are in pursuit of what it means to be a girl. Why it seems that some of us seem stupider about it than others will forever be a mystery to me. My teenage years were fraught with beauty mishaps – perms, Sun-In, black eyeliner, suspenders… the list goes on. I was perming my naturally curly hair, Sun-In-ing my brunette hair to a Ronald McDonald shade, Alice Cooper-ing my eyes and dressing like Annie Hall with NO fashion sense. Also, I never quite got the hang of makeup. I still only wear Chapstick, gloss and various lipsticks (a tribute to my mom’s bright red?) When I turned 40, I thought it was time to try wearing makeup again, but it lasted less than a week. I forget to apply my night cream almost nightly. I’m utterly hopeless.

No matter who you are, there is a point in the life of a woman where you figure out what it means to be you. I’ll never carry off 4-inch heels or have a flawless face. I have pores, yes, and I’m not afraid to show them. I have accepted my failure as the girlie-girl, who can look perfect and put together at all moments. I’m okay with that. I still feel worthy and beautiful. I’ve learned what my best assets are and I try to accentuate them. I have my own style and chic sensibilities. And I believe that all women – girlie-girls, tomboys or somewhere in between have their own unique beauty, no matter what.

Gift of Enthusiasm

Cyn — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:39:52 +0000

I’m blogging late today after running errands again for my dad & mom. My dad got the green light to drive himself on short trips from the cardiologist this morning. So yay! A bit of freedom for both of us.

In looking for inspiration, I came across the We Scout Wednesday post from ScoutieGirl’s Tara Gentile about Gifts of Enthusiasm. It reminded me that just last night, in the minutes before sleep, that I was swept away with a discovery.

I’ve always been enthusiastic about paper. As a kid, I would ask to go to the Five and Dime or the local stationery store and could literally spend hours reading cards, touching stationery and ogling at all the paper goodness. At home, I would make my own notepads from lined paper and staples and draw picture after picture in them.

Since I started my business and have really hunkered down to design, I’ve struggled with my style (touched on in this New Year post.) Since January, I’ve worked hard to make discoveries in my designs and be judicious about my creations. I realized last night that I’m feeling Enthusiastic (with a capital E!) about where I’m headed. My style is emerging and becoming definitive to me and I can’t tell you what a gift that is. I’m giving this particular gift of enthusiasm to myself for now, so I can share it with others as soon as I’m able.

OM :: The Shout Outs

Cyn — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:16:55 +0000

OM is *one moment* and is a meetup designed to notice & relish a moment in everyday life. The meetup idea was created by Linda at her blog, a la mode stuff.

If you’d like to participate in OM, just click the button and you’ll be taken to Linda’s post explaining it all. After you read this post, of course ;)

————————————–
Creating & working from home is a blessing for me. I truly appreciate being able to make this thing I call RiverDog Prints work as a creative business for me and my family.

There are good days and bad days that go along with this blessing and the good days far outweigh the bad. I do spend a lot of time working alone. I bounce ideas and plans off my husband and friends when I can. But for the most part, I sit alone in a room and get it done.

Recently, I did a custom order for a fellow Etsian — a set of small thank you notes for her shop, BeeWitchinStitchin. The shop owner, Kathy, had seen the post about me on Candy’s blog, Candied Fabrics. Kathy and I worked together to create some sweet little notes for her customers.

So, my moment came when Kathy wrote about me on her blog. I know the time it takes to write a post and for both Kathy and Candy to write about little ol’ me is humbling and heart-warming. As I sit alone in my office, my moment is to take a moment and enjoy your company.

OM :: The Maid

Cyn — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:26:32 +0000

————————————–

Q: Do I have a maid?
A: Yes, in that fantasy life the other me gets to live.

Q: In this reality?
A: You guessed it – I am The Maid.

I’m not writing to complain. Although living with three boys and one furry creature does provide much material to boo-hoo about. But complaining doesn’t accomplish anything at all.

My moment happened in the grocery store. I was walking down the cleaning products aisle with my 4yo safely tucked in his race car/shopping cart playing his Leapster. I saw a product that made the angels sing in my head – a product that cleans the toilet. By. It. Self. I read the package for so long, my 4yo popped out of his reverie and asked if we were going to move anytime soon.

My moment is not finding a miracle product. My moment is realizing that I look for that *magic bullet* for the inadequacies in my life. And then think it will be the one thing to get me where I want to be. It is the reason why I can watch an infomercial and almost believe everything the *real people* are saying. I don’t often buy from the infomercials, but when I do, it’s usually a cleaning product or a weight loss solution. Hello, Dr. Freud!

Instead of being embarrassed by my *magic bullet* theory, I need to expose it and really think and rethink this process. I know in my head that losing weight or organizing my home takes time and commitment and a plan. I don’t think I want to admit that I might struggle with both these issues for a lifetime. An overwhelming thought, but pretty realistic. My moment this week reminded me that I need to take one step at a time – no speedy bullet, just a slow rolling ball.

Q: So, did I buy the cleaning product?
A: Absolutely.

Q: Will I use it?
A: 5 words :: By. It. Self! nuff said.

Where Am I?

Cyn — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:30:37 +0000

That’s where I’ll be today… wish me luck!

Lunch

Cyn — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:18:07 +0000

One of my favorite words…
Fresh is another. Or Bounce.

Lunch. It’s evolution over the years of my life have all been good.

Remembering my mom making lunch for me and my brother – grilled cheese and tomato soup in the cold months or pb&j in the warm.

Lunch in the college dining hall, where I could eat Capt. Crunch if I wanted and frequently did.

I sang the only solo I will ever sing in front of a crowded theater, belting out The Ladies Who Lunch.

My first lunch as a working girl in Manhattan… I wish I could remember the specific place, but I do remember the feeling. I was finally a grown-up!

Lunch in Bryant Park with my future husband and MIL, talking about religion and what it would mean for my future family.

Now, going to lunch means I get to connect with friends that I see too infrequently. We make time for each other in our hectic lives to sit and break bread and enjoy one another’s company. Who wouldn’t be hungry for that?