I said YES!

I said Yes!

Yesterday Mike and I had reservations to go to the first restaurant we ever ate at which was almost two years ago. BUT before that he said we needed to check out a new sign hanging at the Milwaukee Public Market. I was cold and didn't understand why we were walking over there. Mike turns me around and in chalk was written a proposal. SO confused! Was this really happening! Oh My Gosh he has a ring!

Mike has gotten down on one knee and taken my hand before. I think twice in the kitchen and he'll ask what I want for dinner. Once in Door County and asked if I wanted my $5 ring put back on my finger, once on the sideway and asked if I would wait for him while he tied his shoe. I thought the same thing was happening again!

The public market is where we first go to really know each other. Every Saturday two summers ago Mike would come by my stand where I was selling bags. I sat down and we had candid conversations about past relationships, life, family, values. Our first dinner at Coquet he ordered fish and I thought to myself, wow he likes fish, good start!

I ordered the same meal last night, equally fantastic and Mike explained how he had dinner with my dad, how he got the ring, how excited he was. I was very excite to tell my family.

Little did I know Mike had that all planned out too. My friend sent me a text message seeing if we wanted to meet them for a drink and watch some basketball. Yeah I'm in for that. We get to Riverfront Pizza and I'm trying to look for her and then I see Brandon, and then Mike's cousin and then my friend Sue from Chicago. WHAT! All of our good friends and our family that could be there was there. Yes I did cry as soon as I saw everybody. I couldn't believe they were all there to celebrate this event. It was truly touching.

We are ridiculously happy.

Productivity

It's warmer outside, the snow has melted, the stock market is going up, girl scout cookies have arrived and I no longer have a cold. It's a very good start to the week. I have also been keeping a couple of my new years resolutions, to stay on top of my freelance work and to work on designing new bags.

I've been able to tackle and turnaround freelance projects much faster and get paid quicker. It's a good situation because my clients are happy and I am turn in happy. Before I had so much freelance I wasn't able to get to it when I needed to and projects could go on for months. Many of my clients are non-profits who don't have big budgets for web design or print design so I work within their budget, but the other day a client mentioned I should charge more for my work. I have to say that felt really good hearing that.

Since beginning of February I have been indulging in my other love, recycling. I have so much donated fabric in my Wauwatosa basement and in my West Bend sewing room that it seriously needs to go somewhere. It has been a kick in the pants to start working on some newly design handbags. After experimenting with zippers, rivets and pockets I've put together a few samples. The response from my purse loving friends has been exciting. Right now I'm currently working on very small purses or wristlets and a larger clutch version. Now I just have find a zipper supplier and fix one of my sewing machines and then I'll be sewing sewing sewing....with some freelance mixed in.

Sick of Sharing

Ever since Valentines Day the honey and I haven't been feeling well. Yesterday and today have been awful. I have not showered, changed my clothes and have filled up wastebaskets of kleenex. I have lied around for the past 30 hours sleeping, watching bad reality tv and not eating. Mike and I have been passing sickness back and forth and I'm tired of it, literally. I feel like I need to detox the house so this won't happen again.