the not-christmas card

[I intended to write a family update for our Christmas card at 5:45 the morning after my grandfather passed away. Instead I added tears to the quiet morning, converted this to a blog post, and am slowly realizing that life has changed and the task list will have to wait.]

It’s been a tough year, but a good year. In March, my grandma passed away and W was born. He’s been a blessing to our family, very content, and the girls dote on him.

About a month later, my great aunt passed away, and nine days after that, W had a little health scare. God was faithful in keeping us in His peace during that time (and multiple times after) and it’s all over now (we pray).

We filled our summer with visits to and from our family and friends, and other milestone events: C’s first movie, her first haircut, and our home’s first deck.

Life took another hit in October as we returned from a trip to NYC celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary, when we heard my husband’s grandpa and my grandpa were hospitalized. We prayed and asked others to join us on their behalf, and God answered. My husband’s grandpa improved and is no longer in a medical facility, while my grandpa made the decision to stop treatment, and passed away last night.

As I began to pray for these men, God was faithful to give me the impression that sometimes people don’t want to be healed, which is hard for those of us left behind, but a blessing to him who lived 93 years and was too tired to fight for more.

Soon we will gather for a funeral, the first our little family has been able to attend, and in a few weeks, we’ll gather again to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

Life and death and road trips. That’s been our 2016.

reflecting amidst reflections

I could have paced in that sun-filled pool for an hour. Gliding my hands through the water, back and forth, meditating on the last 24 hours while the sun sparkled off the ripples. Solar heat warmed my skin and transported my mood to a quiet tropical respite, much unlike the gym pool in the midst of a Minnesota winter where reality found me.

I visited my grandma yesterday. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? In all actuality, it meant asking my husband to work from home so he could try to juggle meetings, a three year old, and a 20 month old … did I mention the three year old was recovering from an ear infection and possibly strep? It meant missing out on restorative time with friends, hearing a great teacher, and having to defer promises made. It meant eight hours of driving round trip, to speak with someone who was unresponsive to me. It meant a lot.

My grandma has been failing with dementia since before my amazing husband came into the picture. She sometimes forgot who I was by the time my darling daughter was born. I was merely a stranger with a cute baby when she met my second daughter. Now, 36 weeks pregnant and not encouraged to travel, I was just another presence in her room.

My prayer is that my words of love and affection hit somewhere in her soul, where her addled mind can’t reach, and that she was able to feel some of what I feel for her. I wept for her. I praised God for her faith and the perfection that awaits her in heaven. I wept for all the years that dementia stole. I wept for all the years that, while mourning the loss of who she had been, I missed out on who she was at that time. Sure, she wasn’t the same Grandma I had spent so much time with, but as I looked through family photos, I saw the familiar smile that is so foreign now, at the end. Perhaps she didn’t know exactly with whom she was sharing that smile, but she was happy.

She’ll be happy again. I don’t claim to understand the workings of heaven, but I believe Grandpa went there nearly twelve years ago, and maybe they will meet again and recognize each other. Maybe their bond will still be intact, albeit in a different way. But she will be happy.

Meanwhile, I’ll be miles upon miles away, waiting for the birth of a baby boy, wondering if God will time things so I can attend her funeral, or if my brief visit is the good-bye I’ve been granted. Either way, He’s given me peace. And His grace, His peace, that can cover us so completely, is worth everything.

a birth tale, take two

 Remember how I predicted that delivery would be different the second time around? I was totally right.

As zen as C's birth experience was, O's was zany.

It was a Saturday like any other, going out for donuts, wandering around town, home for lunch and naptime. Later we went to the mall to let C burn energy running around, and I began having contractions. Really small ones, 30 seconds long, a minute apart.  They were so minor, I thought maybe they were just Braxton-Hicks. Eventually it became apparent that I might actually be in labor, so what did we do, go home? No. We went to the grocery store because I had no food for C to eat while we were gone. Then when we got home, did we immediately prepare for the hospital? No. I thought we should take our dog for a walk before we left and called the midwife . The contractions still weren't a big deal, so I remained casual. So casual, in fact, we even tried to fit dinner in before we left!

The switch from casual contractions to serious contractions happened really quickly, and it became evident that we needed to leave *now*. C was placed in the loving care of her grandparents and we were off. We checked in at 6:17 and O was born at 7:15. I pushed for 11 minutes. Instead of a long, relaxed labor, it was a short, intense labor. The contractions were so strong I could practically feel her moving downward with each one. The urge to push was so strong and prolonged, I actually cried. There was no time for a water birth, there was no time for anything!

As different as the labors + deliveries were, the common denominator was the excellent care of my husband, midwife, and nurses. The adrenaline rush of delivery lasted for days, and I felt incredible. O slept for the first two weeks of her life, and I felt like a rockstar, totally capable of mothering two small children.

Then she hit that six-week mark. And I realized C + I were still living a toddler schedule, not fully respecting O's need for more + better naps. And remember how I said #2 would get more snuggles? She really does, because that's how she prefers to doze off. C's been a champ adjusting to this new routine and has amused me more than once with her mommy imitations.

There are days that I miss the simplicity of one child and question the wisdom of having two so close together. I keep hearing it pays off in the long run, so I'll hang in there until then! While in this moment I don't know when/how/if ever I'll get O to fall asleep on her own, or when/how/if ever I'll get C potty trained, what I do know is that I totally love both of my crazy girls. Though occasionally I want to run away, when we share smiles or laughs, all is right with the world. God certainly gives good gifts.

thirty, flirty, and thriving

This was my year to turn the "big" 3-0. Previous years have found us celebrating St. Patrick's Day with the revelers in St. Paul, but this year felt different. This March found me in the final months of preparing for Baby #2 and dealing with the toddler antics of C (aka Baby #1). On top of that, the days prior to my birthday were spent hosting a dozen family members. Needless to say, my attentions really weren't on myself. God, however, orchestrated a *wonderful* 30th birthday; I couldn't have planned it better.

As stated, the weekend before my birthday we hosted a dozen family members. It was *so* much fun having them all here. A few of them slept in hotels, which meant C and her 5-year-old cousin got to hang out at the pool! We'd never been to a kiddie pool before and C *loved* it. She fell into the water a few times the first day but didn't seem to mind "swimming" one bit.

We also made a colossal cake in honor of the milestone birthday gals present. It was "Heaven and Hell Cake," made of devil's food, angel food, peanut butter mousse and covered in milk chocolate ganache. Very rich, dirties a lot of dishes in the making, but still worth it for a special event. Somehow I never managed to get a picture of it sliced, so you'll have to use your imagination or visit the link.



The day of my birthday I dressed C up in her best green tutu and met friends + the hubs at a restaurant for lunch. C was so exhausted from the weekend! That evening Grandpa & Grandma took over while my husband and I went on a special date to Piccolo. He told them in advance that it was my birthday, so I got lots of "Happy Birthday" wishes and a special card and + candle with my dessert course. It was the perfect, relaxing end to the day.

The rest of the week organically developed into getting together with a variety of friends, some who live far away and some whom I haven't seen in too long. Though the visits may not have been planned around my birthday, I counted them as birthday blessings nonetheless.

All in all, being 30 really isn't so bad. Feels kind of good, actually!

burst 2: minneapolis neighborhood map

My husband and I love to explore. Our weekly date night [we’re totally spoiled, I know] usually consists of going to a restaurant we’ve never visited. One of us picks the place [usually my husband] and keeps it a mystery from the other until we’ve arrived.

As he drives us to our destination, I love taking in the various neighborhood flavors a large city has to offer. There is such diversity in culture, architecture, landscaping, and business offerings that driving through even familiar neighborhoods is a visual buffet.

Being an organized type, I needed a way to categorize this input. Fortunately, there is a solution already in existence: maps! I just needed a nice-looking neighborhood map that we could display in our home and remember where we’ve been and see where we still need to go.

And so this map was born. I’m still deciding how big I want it to be, and if I want to track our outings with pins or labeling the restaurants, but I’m really happy with the design result. Maybe I’ll add it to my Etsy store someday, but for now it’s just for us. That kinda makes me happy, too.

creative burst

You know how they say that vacations are really good for the soul? Or that you need "girl time"? Or that being around creative people is inspirational?

It's true. All of it.

Case 1: My husband and I love California, so when a good friend invited us to her wedding out there, we couldn't wait! Prior to going, I had no complaints about the state of our married relationship, but it was definitely sweeter after having time away and temporarily living the free life of married-without-kids. [Did I mention baby C's grandparents are amazing?]

Case 2: Not so long after that trip, I had to say good-bye to my baby again in honor of Girls Weekend 2013. This time she spent the weekend with Daddy, and though I still missed them, all the laughs and fiascos that go hand-in-hand with time spent in the company of my mother and her sisters were good for the soul.

Case 3: Our Girls Weekend basically consisted of going to a giant handmade market for 3 days. When we got home, I spent one day as a total zombie, but after that the weather turned cold and rainy, the coffeepot turned on, and creativity has been flowing.

Which case is responsible for this latest burst in creative productivity? No clue. Probably all of them in different measures. But I'm loving it! I'm actually taking the time to do the many projects that have been rolling around my brain for months and finding them easier to accomplish with this new burst of energy.

There are possibly some changes coming to this ol' blog of mine, but those details are far from firmed up at this point. Let me just say, thanks for reading and hanging out with me on a non-regular basis! I look forward to sharing more a little later on my newest creations.

a birth tale

"Oh, hello there. My name is C, and I decided to inhabit my nursery after all! I held off for 8 days past my mom's due date, and I've been keeping her on her toes ever since."

It may be cliche to blame a baby for not posting on your blog...but here I am, blaming her. Where I once lived a life of great efficiency and productivity, my goals are now limited to one a day. Well, one goal + one nap. Conquer those amidst feeding, rocking, and diaper changes, and my day pre-husband-arriving-home-from-work is pretty much used up. 

But today, on her 6 week birthday, I decided it's time to share my birth story.

As someone who doesn't like to take pain killers for her headaches, I wanted to have a natural birth. After talking to other moms and getting recommendations, we decided to pursue care at a midwife clinic, give birth in a tub, and attend Bradley classes to prepare. Great decisions, all of them.

The day before she was born, I was at the clinic for my 41 week check-up. At that point, I was dilated to a 3 and everything looked good...if only that baby would come. We had a feeling that she might make her appearance soon, so my husband and I took the opportunity to go on a date to a Thai restaurant, where I of course ordered spicy food. 

My stomach felt tight all night, so once more, I went to sleep wondering if this was really it - could I really be going into labor? At 1 a.m., I woke up with a contraction. Knowing I would need the energy for pushing, I stayed in bed and tried to relax and sleep as much as possible, despite the contractions holding steady at 8-10 minutes apart. When the alarm went off at 6:30, I immediately turned to my husband and told him, "I think this is it!"

As soon as we started to move around and get dressed, the contractions became even stronger. After a few calls to the midwife, some oatmeal breakfast, and an attempted bath, it was official: time to go to the hospital. After 20 minutes or so of electronic fetal monitoring, they checked me and found I was dilated to a 7. Time to fill the tub! 

Once the midwife arrived, I walked across the hall to the tub, shivering and shaking the whole way. The water was such a relief. It warmly encased me and eased any gravitational pressure or discomfort so I could really focus on relaxing through the contractions. They continued strong, and I kept trying different positions to maintain comfort without slowing labor. When the urge to push came, it really took me by surprise. Then, although it didn't feel like it, I pushed for 1 hour, 40 minutes under the gentle coaching of my midwife and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with a head full of blonde hair [only 4 hours after arriving at the hospital!].

And so began the complete, utterly radical changing of our lives forever.

nursery tour

The phrase may be "if you build it, they will come," but our baby's not paying attention to that. As of right now, she's overdue by 4 days and showing no signs of remorse. I'm still comfortable (maybe too comfortable...), just dealing with nightly sleep that seems to come in 2 hour increments at most. Guess my body is just preparing me for our daughter's contribution to that scenario?

Or maybe she just wanted to give me time to show off her nursery photos. So let's do this!

The vinyl branch and birds are from Etsy seller Vinyltastic. She was an awesome seller to work with; if you're in the market for vinyl, seriously check out her store! I wanted to pair fabric-covered leaves with a vinyl branch, and she kindly created a custom listing that allowed me to do just that. The birds were icing on the cake!

In order to fit a shelf and its essential storage, we had to remove a mirrored bi-fold closet door. Replacing it was a breeze with an IKEA curtain and tension rod. I used the other panel in the package to make a matching curtain and crib skirt. 

One of our friends gifted us with this quilted art - isn't it cute? She's a crafty lady, that one. Now we just need to find some complementary pieces to fill out that wall.

My favorite square in this shelf is the one filled with books. I can't wait to have our daughter snuggled in my lap while we read together. Next to that is a bin of toys, which is second favorite. How can you not love all those squeezably soft friends? 

So, baby, what do you say? Are you ready to inhabit this space?

mini vacay

How beautiful is this? Seriously. Can anyone resist a serene lake? I know I can't. Since our little girly is due to arrive right around our anniversary, we decided to take our trip a little early. While the original plan was to fly to NYC, we ended up going with Plan B: 2 scenic days in Ely, MN.

We hiked to some waterfalls, sat on some rocks, and made sure that every time we ate it was either outside or on the edge of a lake. One of our lunches was eaten at 3, which meant we had the whole deck to ourselves! All you heard was the great outdoors, including a loon call. Total peace.

Of course you can't go somewhere and *not* be a tourist, so we made sure to learn all about Dorothy Molter and her wilderness life, see some bears, and admire wolves and wolf pups. We also had to go 1/2 mile underground to learn about the iron ore mining industry that brought this area to attention.

It was the perfect getaway - and my husband spontaneously planned it all himself. Have I mentioned lately how much I like him?

outfit + nursery sneak peek

stretching shirts at 21 weeks

Well, folks, the bump is growing! And happily, I might add. Thanks to the good folks at Old Navy, I was able to score some nice *long* tanks, this shrug, and skinny maternity jeans, all for clearance prices! Love.

This shrug will definitely come in handy this summer, when I'll want to wear those long tanks to keep cool in the weather, yet will need something to keep warm [and modest] in the office. Since it doesn't have a zipper, I don't have to feel in any way that it is meant to entirely cover my growing front.

What's that in the background, you ask? Why, that's our new [to us] crib! We also [finally] removed the wallpaper diamonds and painted over the sponge-painted pink walls. The nursery is now 3 walls of grey and 1 wall of green. Soon we'll begin the registry process and will pick out some *pink* and *purple* bedding, because we're having a girl!

styling the bump

Having a bump that sometimes looks like a lump can make for a bit of a wardrobe challenge. When you're just starting to show, it's not yet obvious enough to flaunt, and it's also not subtle enough to hide.

This outfit has become one of my recent favorites, for a host of reasons:

1. the skirt = low-rise. [no problem buttoning that one!]
2. leggings = elastic waistband. 
3. shirt = stretchy cotton. [pretty much the best feeling ever]
4. boots = flat. [safety first, right?]
5. great big pashmina scarf = bump camouflage!

I'm hoping to stretch my current wardrobe as long as possible [no pun intended, ha!], though it definitely takes creativity sometimes. 

It's a whole new learning curve, dressing an ever changing body. It's also a whole new learning curve *embracing* this ever changing body. Never in my life have I been desirous of displaying a little extra around my middle, but this "extra" is extra special, so maybe displaying it is exactly what I should be doing? 

There's so much pregnancy paranoia swirling around in my head; forgive me for my rhetorical pondering. These 9 months are definitely an experience in trusting God with the unknown and leaning on Him for peace!

october promise

bunny by pamcourt

Some "bunny's" arriving around October 9th!

That's the big announcement...and then I get tongue-tied.

What does this all mean? I wondered the same thing before I got married. Since that was such an unknown land, I wondered what it would mean to be a wife. Fortunately, married life was a fairly natural transition and now I feel pretty confident in my role as my husband's helpmate.

But motherhood, oh boy, another big transition. While I feel called to become a mother, and God's perfect timing is evident in our situation, it's still a big unknown. It's encouraging that, besides our family, our friends *with* kids offer some of the most enthusiastic congratulations. Somehow they know something that we have yet to experience: the joy and blessing it is to have a child - despite the pain of childbearing and sleepless nights.

We got to hear the heartbeat for the second time yesterday and even scheduled our first ultrasound! The anticipation is killer. I can't wait to know more about this little guy or girl, pick out a name, decorate the nursery, and otherwise prepare for the greatest life-changing experience.

So what do you think, girl or boy? ;-)

birthday frivolity

One of the weird things about my husband is his undeniable love of St. Patrick's Day. What's even weirder is that this love existed *prior* to any knowledge that it is also my birthday! Fortunately, this works out really well for both of us. I have no problem basking in the frivolity of the people around us celebrating a holiday for which I truly have no heritage [yeah, my shirt's a sham], all the while letting my inner child believe they're celebrating my birthday, too. He has no problem seeing the parade every year, listening to Irish music, watching Irish dance, and proudly sporting some green.

This year, we started the day off eating breakfast at the Wilde Roast Cafe [absolutely delicious, btw, and fabulous coffee] on St. Anthony Main - where there just so happened to be in perfect viewing position of the Get Lucky 7K! Believe it or not, there have been years where we're the only ones dressed in green at breakfast. Thankfully this wasn't the case in 2012. 

After breakfast, we found parking in St. Paul and then went on the hunt for a place to watch the parade. St. Patrick's Day landing on a Saturday means the city is crazy busy!

The majority of the parade is family groups walking together, showing off their Irish pride...and silliness [Note the green body suit]. There was also an Irish Elvis, some bagpipe players, some dancers, bouncers, and even Vulcans.

Despite the poor odds of actually finding someone you know in the vast crowd, we managed to do just that. While making our way to the Landmark Center, who did we find on the sidewalk but the lovely couple Josh & Mikalah! It was fun catching up with them and having others to people watch with us for a bit.

After the parade, we walked around in the glorious weather, decided most establishments were already too crowded for us, and headed to the Landmark Center for more "reserved" entertainment. By that time, their music and dancing schedule was almost complete, but we did manage to catch some nice folk music, Irish singing, and Irish dancers. Plus the building is beautiful. And they have clean bathrooms. It's really quite a haven.

Overall, it was the best weather I can remember for my birthday, one of the biggest crowds, and absolutely tiring. We were home by 5:30 with no energy to do anything else. The next day even required a nap. [Hence, the delay of this post. Forgive me? :-)]

I wonder what next year will bring!

resolution: read Bible in a year

While I normally don't do promotional posts, with January 1, 2012 approaching soon, I thought some of you might be forming your New Year's resolutions. Truthfully, I don't normally make any; reflecting on the past year and simply dreaming about the future is enough for me.

This past year, however, I did make a goal. It was time for me to get into Bible reading on a consistent basis, and this is the Bible that did it for me.

If one of your resolutions is to read the Bible in a year, you should really give this one a chance. I've done the approach of reading 3-6 chapters a day from Genesis to Revelation, but I like this way better. Each day is labeled with the date, so you always know where you are (or should be). Each day you read a couple chapters from the Old Testament, a few verses from the Psalms, a couple Proverbs, and a chapter from the New Testament. It's written in the NCV translation, which I wasn't familiar with, so passages read newer than if they were in the ol' NIV. Also, each day starts with a brief excerpt from one of Max Lucado's many books.

Being that it's December, the daily reading mix combines some of the last prophetic books of the OT, and the last chapters of Revelation. It's pretty cool to read both of those perspectives each day.

The next post here will return to our regularly scheduled programming, but until then, have a happy (and safe) New Year!

two years ago today

I became his Mrs.
Excellent decision, if I do say so myself.

photo courtesy of Erin Bell Photography

weekend warriors

Been on any good road trips lately? The past two weekends my husband and I have logged many car hours as we visited out-of-town family. His job is to drive, my job is to stay awake and entertain him. Part of my on board entertainment package is taking pictures to commemorate our travels [or maybe that's because I love my phone's camera?]. Check out these clouds, though! Turns out our car's moon roof is perfect for cloud gazing.

Last night, though, we had time to ourselves and no travel plans. Translates: date night! [contented sigh] Thai beer for him, Thai iced tea for me at one of my favorites, Sen Yai Sen Lek. It's delicious. You should probably try it. The restaurant, I mean, but go ahead and order the tea while you're at it.

Any fun weekend plans in your neck of the woods?

love ya, ma

Warning: this post is a long one. It's a woeful tale with a happy ending, brought on by none other than my mother. Read on for just one example of her greatness.

-----------------------------
Written October 14, 2010

We are moving. If not moving our stuff, moving our bodies as we tackle the incredible list of projects that daily seem more and more insurmountable. Every day it seems like I'm scrubbing something. And every day I find more things that need to be scrubbed. And every day that goes by means one less day that I have to get everything done.

You see, we bought a new house, a short sale. It's clean enough to live in, but not clean enough (yet) to unpack our stuff into. Everything is dusty, or grimy, or covered in hard water stains. So our possessions are sprawled out on the floor, waiting for us to stumble, visually displaying the chaos that is our life right now.

Because it wasn't enough to just buy a new house. Due to the economy, we also must rent out our former house. Which means before I can dedicate energy to making the new house a home, I must first remove any evidence of my residency in the former house. In some ways, it's a really extended good-bye. In other ways, it's a labor of love that makes me realize what I'm leaving behind. Open cabinetry. A washing machine that doesn't eat my clothes. A roomy refrigerator. An efficient microwave. Why, I ask myself, did we think this was a good idea? I know that with God all things are possible, and that the Bible commands us to be thankful for our trials, and that in the grand scheme of things, this is hardly a trial at all, that the new house has so many greater features than its appliances, but none of these truths could penetrate my overwhelmed and overtired mind as I scrubbed walls clear of scuff marks.

So I cracked. I cracked so completely that pathetic hardly describes the state I was in. The moment we got in the car to go back to our new home, the lip started quivering and the eyes started leaking and there was no stopping the pity party that I was having. Through my blubbering, I was able to get out the words, "I want my mom."

My mom is always there for me. Always. And she is always encouraging, even if that means she has to stretch the truth to make the situation seem better than it really is. Even if I know she's just saying it to make me feel better, knowing that is her intent actually does make me feel better. She's also an incredibly hard worker, so having her by your side makes scrubbing anything seem breezy. Unfortunately, she lives a 4 hour drive away.

The next morning, my ever-thoughtful husband sent my mom a text prompting her to call her daughter because she was having a rough time. She called, I unloaded, she said she wished she could come but she had obligations every weekend for the next month and a half. I understood, and told her I'd get through this, that it was okay, and thanks for listening.

Within an hour I got another phone call.

"Lisa? I spoke to your father and he thinks I should come, too, so I'm leaving tonight and I'll clean all day tomorrow - all day - I don't need breaks - and then I'll just drive back on Saturday for my party."

Did I mention she lives a 4 hour drive away?

Relief, pure relief surged through my body only to be overpowered by incredible love and appreciation for my mother. She is really the best. (So is my father for encouraging her to make the drive, but this isn't father's day, is it?)

So today I am celebrating, because I truly am sooo HAPPY to have my MOTHER'S presence any DAY.

Image: Vintage Mug by RubiesAreForever

let me introduce you

 

Can I let you in on a secret? Shhh....it's hiding in this cute little desk.

Check it out! There's a sweet sewing machine inside!

And, if you can't tell, I'm pretty excited about that. You see, up until now I didn't have a sewing machine in my house. All those cute little earring holders were created in my generous father-in-law's shop, located about 15 min. away. That same FIL wasn't using this machine, so it is now residing in my craft room! How awesome is that?

Don't you love all the little details?

This weekend will find me reading its manual and getting familiar with this new little friend of mine. I can't wait to put it to work! My dreams of creating curtains + pillows + clothes + more are *this much* closer to reality.

Sigh.

it's an extra special day

 

Can I tell you a secret? Today is the one and only day that you can save 27% on anything in my shop! Simply visit all things * jane on Etsy, pick your favorite item, enter coupon code YAYFORTODAY27 and you're on your way to traveling with your earrings intact and still paired upon arrival. Unless of course you went for the scarf or for a pair of earrings to wear around town.

Hope you're wearing some green today in honor of my birthday! [I mean, St. Patrick's Day.] I appreciate you all!!

Image Credit:

Happy Birthday Card by yesteacher

feeling green

It's officially my birthday week! Which means, I've got green on the brain [after all, St. Patrick's Day *is* this Thursday].

This green obsession, paired with a new weekly schedule, translates to adding some different items to the all things * jane Etsy shop. First up is the item at left, one of the delayed products of some inspiration found on Newbury Street in Boston. It is a scarf that is braided rather than knit; the character is completely different than your typical neckwear.

Also new to the shop (with more to come) is a pair of green earrings. I love the main bead: it has a matte finish that feels velvety to the touch. Some day there will be a necklace to match, but for now, the shop that sells travel earring holders will also have some earrings for you to wear on your trips!

Are you feeling green?