Pedicure time for Lucy & Ethel

Did you guys know I live on a farm? Well I do! My husband and I sort of dabble with farming. My job is taking care of the animals... and today is the day my two donkeys, Lucy and Ethel, get pedicures! Well... not really pedicures, but they will get their hooves trimmed.

Now, I don't totally know what I'm doing, but I can tell you I try my hardest. I have to admit, these donkeys were sort of an impulse buy, and I really didn't know what I was getting myself into when I bought them.

My donkeys love me. I'm not going to lie. When I call them, they come running up to the fence and follow me right into the barn. Now some people might say it's because I bribe them with treats, but I don't think so. These donkeys totally think I'm cool. ;)

Here's the skinny on Lucy and Ethel (btw, Lucy is the red head)... Every couple months these girls - like most of us - need to get their nails done. I have an excellent farrier who comes out and gives Lucy and Ethel his undivided attention while he clips and files their hooves into donkey perfection. Now, my donkeys are full size which means they are very big and a little intimidating. So, I hire my vet to also make a trip out and hold these girls in place while my farrier works his magic.

Now as excited as I am to have my two girls get their nails done, my enthusiasm usually starts to fade after about 30 minutes or so. I mean, seriously, have you ever went with a friend to WATCH her get a pedicure?

It's like watching paint dry. And maybe if I actually had my farrier apply a little nail polish or glitter to Lucy and Ethels hooves, it would bring the excitement level up a notch. But no. There is no polish. Only trimming and filing.

And so here I sit in my super awesome snowsuit as I patiently wait for my donkey's appointment to wrap up.

I can tell you, the wait is worth it. Just like all girls out there, Lucy and Ethel love getting their nails done. Cheers to happy feet!

Remember to check out my Instagram @smalltownme

Love Emily.

Bulletin Board Time!

All of my kids have attended our small town parish school from kindergarten through sixth grade. My husband and I love this school and we support it whenever we can. I've tried volunteering at different school events, served breakfast after church, but nothing seemed to fit me. Let's face it - I'm super good at eating pancakes... not so good at serving breakfasts. I was constantly looking for a way that I could volunteer and help our school while still having fun doing it.

And then it came to me. A couple years ago, I requested that a bulletin board be hung in the gathering space of our church with the sole purpose of promoting our school. I felt this would be a great way to remind our parishioners that our Catholic school is here and thriving.

BONUS - I would be the one creating the bulletin board displays! What? Volunteering by doing something that I already love and am good at? You have no idea how excited I was with this bulletin board idea.

When working on any project, my ideas usually come to me out of nowhere. I never have a plan. I seriously just go into my art room and start cutting and painting. And you can be sure glitter always makes an appearance!

Cardboard is one of my favorite things to use on my bulletin boards. It is always accessible at my house (thank you Amazon), and I love the texture I get by peeling off layers and adding paint and glitter.

When I create these bulletin boards, they are pretty much like scrapbooking on steroids. Super fun... and super noticeable ;) My ideas always look good in my head... And for whatever reason, they typically turn out. It's like magic... Or maybe it's just a gift :) I enjoy creating these displays for our school and I love that I finally found a way to volunteer that feeds my soul. Everyone has a gift... you just have to figure out how to use that gift to make an impact.

Remember to check out my Instagram @smalltownme

Love Emily.

Welcome to my Blog... now here's the story.

So I've been wanting to create a blog for a long time. But what am I going to write about??? I'm a stay-home mom living in a small town with a handful of animals. I have this drive to do something... but what.

I was talking to a friend about this... telling him I know I want to do something, but I have no idea what that something is. I've been praying about it, thinking God would give me the answer... but nothing. Sure I've gotten hints along the way, but I needed something more. I told my friend, I wish God would just speak up and tell me what I'm supposed to do!!!

Well, this weekend God answered me - LOUD AND CLEAR!

I got a text from my sister-in-law asking if I was interested in any scrapbooking supplies (apparently they were getting rid of some stuff at work). Ummm... yes! Of course! Always interested in scrapbooking supplies!!!

As you can see, this wasn't just a few pieces of cardstock and a couple embellishments. This was the MOTHER LOAD. I felt like I won the lottery (if you're a scrapbooker, you totally know what I mean).

Here's the deal. I'm a scrapbooker. I've scrapbooked my entire life, and I LOVE IT. Everyone who knows me knows this about me. Sure, scrapbookers are easily made fun of. I get a lot of "you seriously sit around all weekend and just... scrapbook?" Yes. Yes I do. And I love every single minute of it!

So scrapbooking is my thing. I am seriously just creating this blog to make me feel like I have a job. I know, I know... raising your kids is a full time job. Being a stay home mom is a full time job. Here's the deal: I love my kids. I wouldn't change being a stay home mom for ANYTHING... but I need something besides just being a mom. So this is it - my pretend job :) welcome to 'Small Town Me'.

So, whether it's scrapbooking, organizing, or just finding ways to fill my day, I'm just excited to have you along with me on this adventure. Thank you for giving me this 'job opportunity' and thank you God for speaking up.

Be sure to check out my Instagram @smalltownme

Love Emily.