Just Listed!

This week's focus has been on getting a new desk job, interview is today and I'm having a panic attack.  If I win this position, I'll have 3 jobs officially.  Things are tight right now, so tight that I can't even visit the thrift store for the craft project I've got me eye on.

Soooo, despite the craziness I managed to get these two necklaces finished and photographed for my shop, and although I claim to only make one-of-a-kind pieces, I might have to recreate the lapis lazuli one for me.  I LOVE it.  I wore it yesterday to my son's school for carpool and 4 women wanted it within minutes.  Good thing I had my business cards on hand (think, Abbie, think....remember to market yourself!)

Cleopatra's Charms Necklace

Fog Necklace

Contact Me!

If you would like to share a recipe, craft project, comment or any other miscellaneous contribution, and for all other inquiries:

sweetmaggiejane@hotmail.com

Thank you!

Maggie, Flower Girl

My sister is getting married in May and we're now less than 90 days away from the big event.  She wants my sons to walk with my daughter down the aisle for her very important role as flower girl.  The wedding colors are gunmetal, happy yellow and fuchsia....and this is the dress for Maggie.  Cute, huh?  She's almost 2, by the way.  My other sister and I are the bridesmaids (err, matron of honor) and our dresses are a simple gunmetal polished cotton.  The colors are so pretty all put together, no surprise since my sissy Katherine is the fashionista among us 3.  I'm busy working on the jewelry for the wedding....not an easy task I might add.  There are too many fabulous choices!

Here's the most wonderful part about this dress...................$20 at Target  :)

OMG Dip

Otherwise known as Food Network's 'Hot Crab Dip', made today while we rested from heavy cleaning and enjoying the kids at play outside...and of course this used up all of my Weight Watcher points but it's so OMG good :)

Notes

Reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream are the healthy key to this creamy dip. A bit of crab boil spice, hot sauce, lemon and herbs keep it fresh tasting.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), room temperature
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon crab boil spices, (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces fresh crab meat, picked over for bits of shell and patted dry
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Whole-wheat crackers for serving, optional

Stir together the cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, crab boil spice, and garlic in a medium saucepan until smooth; season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Heat the cream cheese mixture over medium-low heat until warm, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the crab, scallions, parsley and lemon juice and warm until heated through, about 1 minute more. Serve immediately.

Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Nutritional analysis per 1/4 cup serving (does not include crackers)

Calories 125; Total Fat 8g (Sat Fat 4g, Mono Fat 2g, Poly Fat 0.5g); Protein 11g; Carb 2g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol 58mg; Sodium 349mg

Supermommy, by definition

The 'real' definition of a Supermom is  'an exemplary mother; also: a woman who performs the traditional duties of housekeeping and child-rearing while also having a full-time' job' according to Webster.  While most would perhaps focus on the child-rearing/job balance aspect of the definition, I am most drawn to the exemplary mother part.  I see being a mother as a vocation, the most stressful but rewarding one I could ever take on.  I struggle daily with patience, exhaustion and Legos underfoot, but yet go to bed each night thankful for the craziness of the day and the sweet little ones asleep in their beds.

I'm trying to let go of the idea of a perfect house, problem-free kids and easy breezy bedtime routines 100% of the time...and instead work on the bigger picture of my life, of my vocation....what are some of the ways you fellow Moms cope with the day to day stress?  How do you work to fulfill your definition of Supermom?

I'm not a good blog writer

I've started this blog out of a need to hold myself accountable to many things going on in my life....my jewelry business, my family, my weight loss journey to name a few...and after a nice bottle of cabernet I've got this swanky blog page started with pretty colors and fonts and there you have it!  See what I mean?  That was a loooooong sentence full of grammatical errors that my English teacher husband would loathe :)

So tonight starts my new format of blogging, I can't wait to see where this goes...