...your whole world goes topsy turvy. I believe that the strength of a person lies in their ability to adapt to and benefit from change. Unexpected change, at that.
Recent changes include moving into a house with my younger sister, Miriam, who just graduated highschool and needed a roommate, my parents deciding to get divorced after an almost 20 year marriage, a new job as Internet Product Manager of Gunslinger and personal assistnat to owner Melissa and seperating from my boyfriend of two years, whom I still love very much.
My life is nowhere near where I thought it would be. But I don't feel bad for that. I am done wasting time feeling bad for the things I have and have not done. At this point I am focusing on moving on and hopefully, moving up.
My decision to move in with my little sister was not completely unselfish. The opportunity afforded me a roommate as well, to share a beautiful old house with tons of potential and closer to my mother's house. It allowed me to control many of the variables in my life that I previously had no control over.
My parents' divorce, though heartbreaking for both of them, was a long time coming and is, I believe, for the better. I think that they will both be happier people.
My new job, well, is wonderful and challenging and a huge opportunity for me. For those of you that know me on a personal level, you know that I hated my past job as a bookkeeper at a place that afforded no potential for advancement or pay raises for that matter. The working conditions were less than savory, in fact the store manager just recently got fired for stealing. It had been suspected for a long time but never had it been able to be proven. You can imagine how frustrating it would be to work with someone knowing how dishonest and two-faced they are.
And the last development is the hardest to endure and adjust to. I won't discuss the details here other than to say that it was probably the hardest decision I have made thus far. But I do believe that in order to be fully able to make someone else happy, one must first feel fulfilled and satisfied in their own soul. I was not and am not but am currently taking steps to reach that point. And I hope that we will both be better for it.
So...now that I've gotten all that out there I want to share some sneak peeks of my new daily routines and my new house.



One thing that I would like to target and change about myself is my health and fitness. I have not been happy with my weight and appearance for some time now so...I woke up at 6:45 am to join my mother in a 2 mile speedwalk with handweights on a road with plenty of hills and length. It was quite a workout, one that I plan to commit to at least 3 days a week to start.

After the workout I showered and then cooked breakfast for Miriam and I. A part of changing my appearance is changing my diet. So, after wanting to try it for a long time now, I got some turkey bacon.



Verdict: It's pretty good. It does taste more like spam than actual bacon but for 65% less fat than bacon, I'll eat it! It's a good source of protein and is VERY low in saturated fat compared to bacon. So yay for the turkey.

After breakfast it was time for the unfun boring stuff: cleaning. Let me just say that the only reason I enjoy doing it now is that it stays that way for a long time. I got around to some much needed organizing of my craft stuff and my bedroom.



My new studio and crafting area is setup in half of our breezeway, which gets tons of natural light and ventilation. Perfect!



I have setup wine bottles and dried flowers along our windowsill in the breezeway along with this lovely beaded Mona Lisa curtain I got years ago.



Cleaning is always pleasantly interrupted by the antics of my new little kitten, Ponyo.




She is such a doll and I love her sooooo much! I spoil her rotten which is fine by me. She's getting quite fat and sassy too.

I did get sidetracked for a couple hours when organizing some fabric and idea struck me.



Had to get it down before I lost motivation. It is now available for sale in my Etsy shop: www.pennythreads.etsy.com. I have a lot more in my head like this. So definitely keep a look out for some new artwork and creations.



Just outside of our breezeway on our front covered patio is a nest of mud swallows who have 6 babies that just started flying yesterday!



Thank goodness, because the momma would get so threatened every time we sat out there and fly close to us chirping angrily. Now that the babies have flown the nest we can evict them so that they will set up house elsewhere.



We are going to eventually fill our patio with plants and flowers.



And this little stone planter that runs the length and down the side of the patio will be filled with herbs and pepper plants someday.



We've got a Mona Lisa print in our living room as well, just above our fireplace. I can't wait for winter already, with images of crackling fires and s'mores roasting dancing in my head.






Some thrift store finds that make up the decor, which will be finished sometime soon I hope.



Our primary focus right now is the living room and kitchen. We are working on finishing up painting the kitchen and then will be painting the living room. I can't wait to show you it when it's all finished!



My sister and I are also learning French. No reason really, other than we both wanted to learn it and it's fun. She updates our little marker board in the kitchen with phrases and pronunciations every few days. It's slow going but I'm making some progress and have added a few phrases to the little I knew already.

So far, I am doing well. I have many hopes and goals that I have set for myself and I feel as if I am on the right track. I hope you'll stay tuned during my journey. I will try to keep it interesting.
Much love and well-wishing to all of you!
Ciao for now,
Renea Hanna.
Penny Threads. Penny Pictures.