The Inaugural Pin-A-Thon

 I'm in Albany now, and finally with just enough time and energy to do justice to a post that's been simmering in my blog's (rather crowded) back burner for some time now.

 

Pinterest!  Are you in?  I usually get two responses to this question:  

1. an exuberant "Yes!" followed by details of a latest, greatest pin or 
2. a quizzical "Pin- what?" 

So if you are in the camp of the latter, let me give you a quick rundown on what exactly Pinterest is.

According to the  iTunes App Store:

"Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. It lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find in your life. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes."

Wikipedia describes Pinterest as:

"...a pinboard-styled social photo sharing website. The service allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections. The site's mission statement is to 'connect everyone in the world through the "things" they find interesting.'" 

Jessica Kantola sums it up:

"Pinterest: you just can't go wrong here."

Living in Klamath Falls has reinforced my understanding that life really is what you make it.  This little-big town of ours is somewhat isolated and can really begin to feel that way unless you take steps to make things happen.  And I am so blessed to have found a group of friends (and a church!) who walk this out daily and know exactly how to make things happen.  These girls know how to have a good time.

After having many conversations centering around the phenomenon of Pinterest, my new friends decided to throw a Pin-A-Thon party - and since it was right before Valentine's Day, it was decided it would have a Valentine's Day theme.  What fun!  And better and better - they invited me to join them as a co-hostess.  And of course I happily did.

Here's the little e-vite I whipped up to post on the Facebook Pin-A-Thon invitation page.

Each lady attending the party brought a yummy dish from a recipe they'd pinned from Pinterest and also a craft (or two, or three, or four) from a DIY (Do It Yourself) pin they'd found on Pinterest.

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER)

Many of us regularly pin the same pins - or at least see them - so to be able to sample certain recipes in real life was pretty darn cool.

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER)

The same can be said for the DIY craft pins.  Taking the idea from virtual "pin board" to reality is exciting - and I learned a lot from just watching the other ladies working on their crafts.

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER)

And of course, when you put a bunch of women into a room with fabulous food, lovely crafts, and vibrant fellowship - you really do get the best of all worlds.  :)

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER)

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER)

This party was such a success that it is now a monthly event, with the next one being March 3rd and the food theme is "green."  :)

My home church ladies' group is throwing their inaugural Pinterest Party this next week - and I am very much looking forward to being a part of it. 

I have been so blessed to be able to be a part of such dynamic groups of ladies - in my hometown and now my new town - fabulous women of action who know how to throw down and know how to party down.

Creative Change

 

I am sitting here at my computer, quite composed actually, sipping tea and getting a little thrill at the thought of actually posting a blog post after what’s been a very long (dare I even count the months) dry spell.

I am remarkably composed, especially in the face of the huge influx of busy-ness and change that looms a mere few days away.  My composure could, I supposed, be termed as repression.  Or perhaps denial.  But either way, I am – as I told a dear friend just this afternoon – feeling remarkably, strangely zen.

You see, on Monday – this Monday – after I pick Siennalee up from preschool, she and I (and Gunther the cat) will squeeze into the packed Acadia and will make the trip up to Albany to stay for the duration of my pregnancy.  Jason will join us the weekend before our sweet baby is born via scheduled c-section on Monday, March 12^th. 

Our temporary move back home to the Willamette Valley allows Baby Girl to be delivered by my own doctor at Sacred Heart Hospital in Springfield.  It also, of course, allows us to be near family and close friends while I recuperate from surgery - which is a very nice place to be, especially when living in a new place farther away from said family and friends.

Planning and packing for weeks away from our home here in Klamath Falls has certainly taken over most of my regular routine.  (But seeing as how my routine has become a slave to my rapidly changing body, sleeping/eating habits, and energy levels anyway, it hasn’t seemed like too much of an ordeal.)  I have still managed to the make the most of the opportunities for friend outings and visits that have come my way – much to my happiness!  The joys of making good, kindred friendships here in Lands Unknown have been very welcome and make my eventual return something to look forward to, rather than something to dread.

And so, since I’ve been regrettably absent from my dear little blog, I’ll leave you with a photo of the latest and greatest creative project – yes, already in progress – that has taken up the majority of my months of blog-silence (photo courtesy of my lovely sister-in-law Anne, or course).