Currently...

Loving...
My sweet husband. I love how he's always on my side, sticks up for me all the time, and wants the best for me, no matter what. I know that I can count on him to celebrate with me and hold me up when I need to cry or scream or possibly both {not that that ever happens...}

Reading...
I normally put my books down the week before we have a Gathering so I can focus on getting the store ready to be open. I've still be reading blogs like crazy, and I'm looking forward to a few magazines I have stacked up and waiting for me.

Waiting for...
Fall. We've finally had a break in the ridiculous weather, and this last weekend was beautiful! I can't wait to spend some time outdoors in the next couple of months, soaking it all up before that awful white stuff flies.

Excited about...
County fairs! The Cass County Fair starts today and goes through Saturday, and the Otoe County Fair picks up on Sunday and goes through Wednesday. Looking forward to hanging out with friends and family, and seeing one of my favorite groups, Tonic Sol-Fa, at the OCF on Monday. {They're a super fun a Capella group I met in college after seeing them in concert for a leadership thing I was part of...I've been catching their shows whenever they're close by. Great guys, fun times!}

Missing...
Sleep. I haven't slept well at all the last few weeks. Stress and exhaustion are the big factors. Do you ever get so tired it gets hard to sleep? That's where I am right now. I'm happy to get just a couple hours a night, but I can really feel myself dragging. I'm hoping after I catch up on some projects this week and the store opens on Saturday, I'll be able to get back into a normal pattern.

Trying to...
Be realistic about my limitations. I guess I'm not sure what I was thinking, opening a business when I already had one going online, plus working a full time job. I just thought it would magically come together and my life wouldn't be that much different. Truth is, I'm not adjusting very well, and I need to make some cuts. I'm going to be adjusting some of the things I offer in my Etsy store, and making it more focused on the same types of items I sell in Gather. I'd like them to compliment each other, not be two entirely different things. I'll write more about that when I've finalized my decision.

Working on...
My party theme for the August Gathering. It's Back to School time, so why not throw a bash to celebrate it {or, at least to distract the kids about going back to school!} We're featuring all sorts of party decor and some fun vintage accessories. I'm also super excited about my August treat from Drizzles...Apple Cake Pops! {If for no other reason, come visit us for free desserts!}

Enjoying...
The Olympic games! I forget every couple of years how much I love watching them, and then I get sucked back in every time. I've been DVRing a lot of coverage because I'm not home much, but I've especially been loving the gymnastics, swimming, & volleyball coverage.

Using...
My iPhone. It's glued to my hand most of the time. I don't know how I got along without it. Other than at my "real" job, I almost never do work on my computer. I much prefer the convenience of checking e-mail, Etsy, Facebook, etc. on my phone.

Watching...
Other than the Olympics, I'm watching all sorts of summer reality TV. And yes, most of it is stupid, which is why I love it! Scheduled on my DVR this summer: Tia & Tamera, Storage Wars, Trust Us With Your Life {Wayne Brady, swoon}, Dance Moms, So You Think You Can Dance, On the Fly, & Big Brother. I think I really only record 2 or 3 shows that aren't reality TV. Scary.

Wearing...
My new halftee! I got one to try it on the recommendation of Shelley from The House of Smiths, and I love it. I'll be buying a LOT more to get me through fall and winter.

Planning...
Mostly things for Gather for the rest of the year. I got some new advertising pieces printed yesterday, and went ahead and set my schedule of open dates for the rest of 2012 to print on them. We've had the goal of being open at least a couple more days per month, and starting in October, we will be! Here's the rundown:

Saturday, August 11 {10a-5p}

Saturday, September 8 {10a - 5p}

Saturday, October 13 {10a - 5p}

Sunday, October 14 {12p - 4p}

Saturday, October 27 {12p - 5p}

Saturday, November 10 {10a - 5p}

Sunday, November 11 {12p -4p}

Saturday, November 24 {8a -5p}

Sunday, November 25 {12p - 4p}

Saturday, December 8 {10a - 5p}

Sunday, December 9 {12p-4p}

Saturday, December 22nd {9a-5p}

Halloween is probably tied with Christmas for my favorite holiday, so I'm thrilled that we're able to be open so close to the 31st! I'm already itching to get my hands on the store and spooky it up for one of my favorite days!

I'm also thrilled that we're going to be open 5...yes, 5!...times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm a firm believer that Christmas decor shouldn't come out before Thanksgiving, so Gather will be completely transformed before we open on November 24th. Elmwood has a huge Holiday Extravaganza on the 24th, so we're opening extra early {8am!} so everyone will have plenty of time to shop and explore the town.

Singing...

Whatever's on the radio on the way home from work. Must have it cranked, must be upbeat! Thank goodness no one has to hear my awful voice {I quit when I pick Mike up from work since we carpool...no one deserves that kind of torture.}

Needing...

To pack. We'd like to get our house as packed up as possible before we list it, so we can store our abundance of stuff. I'll miss my house terribly, which may be why I'm delaying a little {aside from the fact that I'm not sure how we're going to add one more thing to our to-do list}.

Wishing...

Things were a little more settled for us. I'm a bundle of anxiety right now and I really hate feeling like that. I need some consistency in my life, and a lot of calm. I'm the exact opposite of calm by nature, so if my surroundings aren't calm, it sends me into a tropical storm of emotions {good and bad}.

Praying for...

Our marriage. I think that as things get crazy in life, it's easy to take what you have for granted in all relationships, but especially the ones that feel the most comfortable. Mike & I are so secure with each other, I think it would be easy to put our marriage on the back burner and focus on it later on. I think that's a really dangerous habit to start, and we're intentionally putting our marriage on our priority list - blocking out time to be together, making sure we have time to rest together and plan for our future, and always making sure we're supporting one another. With everything else that's up in the air right now, I know we have to make sure our marriage is solid. Nothing even comes to being as important to us.

Dreaming of...

All the things we'll do to our new house. I'm just itching to get started on making changes, decorating, really making plans. The more abstract the timeline for anything we do, the more out of control my dreams get. Once we get started in a plan though, I'm fairly grounded and don't make too many changes.

Check back this week for some more Gather updates!