Life on Planet Sally

I know we are well into the new year, but I do hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and are well on their way to achieving all those resolutions. As for moi, I made no resolutions whatsoever this year. It's not that I am a lazy citizen or an apathetic person, it's just that this year I am going to be a realist and not make any silly commitments to myself that I cannot keep.

These days I am happy to make it home from work in one piece and still have some energy to keep up with my spunky toddler. I usually eat dinner standing by the counter while I'm chasing Simone around the kitchen. We play a few games before bath and bedtime and I often pass out on the couch after my lame attempt at cleaning the kitchen. Are there other Moms out there feeling the same level of exhaustion and lack of interest in everything? I just can't seem to catch up these days!

So, this year there will be no attempts to go to the gym regularly, I will probably eat too much ice cream and cookies, my house will be a cluttered mess, and my wardrobe will consist of jeans and t-shirts. I think the biggest promise I can make to myself is to try to enjoy the days I have with my family and not get too overwhelmed by the day to day madness. That is my goal until I can reclaim some personal time and refocus a little attention back to myself. Now, I'm going to upload this photo and check out my favourite blogs before I get ready for bed and gear up for another day of insanity!! Good night friends!

Illustration Friday - Strings

I suppose this image hasn't got much to do with the word "strings", except for the fact that the little piggy is hanging onto strings from the balloon. But it has been ages since I posted anything for illustration friday, so I thought I'd just submit this illustration anyways.

My style this week is actually quite far from my typical watercolour/painting style. Lately I've been doing loads of photoshop work at my crazy job and I have been inspired by a lot of new digital illustration out there. Artists like Alberto Cerriteño and Camille Rose Garcia. I have never been a huge fan of digital illustration until I heard about these talented artists. Rather than the flat, sterile look of vector art which I have always found unappealing, they have added depth, organic detail and texture to their illustration. In my opinion, they have pushed digital illustration to another level, and it has inspired me to try my hand at it as well. Of course, I do plan to get out the watercolours and ink again, but for now I'm exploring the world of photoshop and truly enjoying it for the first time ever!

Life in the Fast Lane

Ok, just in case there is anyone out there who may stumble upon this blog...the Mighty Sally still exists! Lots going on and not even an extra moment to sit down and tell you about it until now. Here is the quick update since my last post:

• Simone turned one year old. Yay! I must say, I am relieved to get past the "baby" stage of parenting. This was probably the toughest year of my life and the fact that we survived, completely in tact, was definitely worth celebrating! Now, onto the next challenge...the toddler years.
  
• After re-entering the workforce and settling into a routine, everything started to fall into place. I learned to speak adult language again, and found a few moments to myself in the form of lunch break.
  
• After going back to work, I promptly found another job here and quit my old job here. Start up company, exciting projects, better salary, better benefits...how could I refuse?? Well, the timing was a bit awkward, but hey, we can't always pick and choose when opportunity will make an appearance!
  
• Simone started walking a few days after her b-day!! Huge milestone and we are so proud.

With all this change going on, I am one big ball of tension! Starting back into the workforce was a challenge in itself, but of course I had to complicate it by finding a new job. Stress is at a level 10 right now and it is attacking me in the form of hives, fatigue and moodiness. Geez. You cannot imagine how many times this week I've asked myself: What are you doing???

I hope I will have a chance to update you again soon . In the meantime, check out my art portfolio which I slapped together for the job interview. It would have been nice to create a nice fancy portfolio website from scratch, but really, who has the time?? Certainly not this mommy!

Back to Reality

So, the year long honeymoon, also known as my maternity leave, has ended. I have been thrown back into reality, a daily rat race complete with crowded trains, cubicles and cold saran wrap sandwiches. No more happy baby gurgles to greet after nap, no more funny smiles or sloppy baby kisses. Instead, my days are filled with the corporate jargon of the hour and the painful drone of my computer.

It has been a tough first week back at work. I still have friday to get through before the precious weekend with my family. But Simone has been a trooper! She has handled this transition with relative ease, all the credit goes to her wonderful Papa who has chosen to be her main caregiver while I bring home the bacon. (And Oh, how we've missed those paychecks!) They have spent the week frolicking about the neighbourhood - walks to the park, hikes by the ocean and visits to the YMCA. They're having a blast, and I must admit I feel like I'm missing out! I call them at least 3 times a day to see what is going on.
Mr. Hubby, who I shall now refer to as Papa Harry, has decided to journal his new role as Mr. Mom. He's created a brand new blog where he relays all the crazy situations from the day, and I think it may help me feel a little less out of the loop. If you want a chuckle, you should go there immediately! Many silly situations are a-brewing when Mom leaves the house.

In the meantime, I will be updating this blog as I can. This is a stressful time and we all need to adjust. I'd love to knit or draw to ease some of the tension, but the reality is that I'm running at fully speed until 9pm and by then I just want to put my feet up and watch some mind numbing reality show. I do hope it gets easier soon because leaving the house each morning brings on the worst knot of anxiety I've had in a long time. I hate missing out. I hate saying goodbye to my family. But I just keep telling myself, going to work is the best thing I can do for my family right now. It will make me a better mom...right? Suddenly I can relate to all those articles about the "guilty working mom". Well, here's hoping my next post has lots of happy times to share! Now go over the Papa Harry's blog and have a laugh :)

Out of Office

The summer weather is officially upon us and we have been very busy enjoying lots of family time and the glorious sun. My lack of blogging is a result of a visit to Grand Forks to visit the in-laws - we just got back into town at the end of last week and in a couple weeks we are off again to my hometown to visit my folks. Needless to say, blog posts will continue to be sporadic from this end.
Time is ticking and I can feel my anxiety growing. My maternity leave is nearly done; I have less than 2 months before I'm expected back at work. There are moments when I am overwhelmed by feelings of anticipation, dread and guilt. But mostly, I am just trying to enjoy every minute with Simone. Each day she is changing and we are having so much more fun now - I do wish these days could last forever.

A Beautiful Mother's Day

It shouldn't be a surprise that Mother's Day has taken on a whole new meaning to me. But strangely enough, all week I've been thinking of this day and how I've developed a whole new appreciation for my mom, my mom-in-law, and all the other mothers who share this incredible role.
Mr. Hubby was extremely thoughtful and generous to me. Not only did he surprise me with this stunning bouquet and gorgeous antique tea pot, but he also let me sleep in late this morning and made a trip through the tim horton's drive-thru for fresh coffee and egg sandwiches. Ok, I know that a drive-thru for coffee and sandwiches isn't exactly a mother's day brunch. But first of all, we are on a tight budget and secondly, if you have had one of these egg sandwiches, you would understand what all the fuss is about.
I also wanted to share a photo for this weeks "This is..." post.
This set of dishes reminds me of my Mom. She served every meal on these dishes when I was a kid; including chicken casseroles, soups, spaghetti, roast beef and cream of wheat. I remember studying the flower design while pushing the peas and beans around on my plate - always trying to avoid eating any vegetable. Lots of memories of my mom setting the table, serving us dinner, and making daily conversation. Thanks for all the good times Mom!

This is...

I've missed this meme the last couple weeks, and now I'm all confused. I thought this week's theme was the "flashback photo", where we are to post a photo of us pre-1985. But apparently I am wrong, and there is a new topic regarding Mother's day. I'm totally in for that one and will post again tomorrow.
But for now, here is a silly little pic of yours truly - proud as punch in my bucked tooth and frilly pink collar glory. I think it was taken in 1981, but I really don't know for sure. What I would like to know is how the heck my hair stayed so straight back then. I want it back! LOL.