Margaret Toscano--Strong.

At Dartin Studio we are doing a fund raiser in our etsy shop for our longtime friend, Margaret Toscano.  All earrings are listed for $10 + $2.50 (Shipping and Fees).  When you purchase a pair of earrings, $10 goes directly to the Toscano family to help with expenses.  

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Please read the following written by Margaret Toscano's daughter, Stephanie:
"Tuesday (July 23, 2013) my mom was diagnosed with another putitary adenoma (brain tumor)
 It is a 6mm.  We have faced this 4 years ago and never thought we would face this for a 2nd time. She is a single mother of 5, has no insurance and we are in need of help. Help with prayers. Help with donations.  Help with anything and all."
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Visit our facebook page for more information - https://www.facebook.com/toscano.strong
 
Please email me if you have any questions dartinstudio@yahoo.com
Thank you in advance for your prayers and support ~Tina

Old Friends

I felt a friend slip away today. If I'm honest with myself, it happened months ago. 

As I evaluated my relationships I realize that there have been many. Time and distance can fade a friendship. A neighbor, a co-worker, group member. Friends that in a particular season of life when you had their back and they had yours. You were a team but life happens. It was real and you will always be friendly but things change. 

I always want to ask "did I do something to make them mad" but I know in my heart that I didn't. I can point the finger at myself in blame for letting my life suck me in so that I didn't give value to what once was. 

I am not friendless nor are they. Friendless no. Replaced by something else, yes. A new relationship, a new baby, a job, a move, something happy and healthy.  

Part if me mourns for the fun times. In my heart I cherish that I could experience happy memories and then allow myself to let go. 

I remember. I cherish the love and the laughter. I do love you and hope the best for you. We will keep in touch as we move through to the next phase of life. We had our day and I will cherish it forever. You are part of me and I am who I am today because you touched my life. 

Enjoy!

Greetings on this beautiful summer morning! I just want to encourage you to embrace all that your day holds today. The positive and the negative. Everything that happens to us gives opportunity for love and for growth. 

~Tina

Happy Wednesday!

Forgiveness is...

Two Wolves

Cry and Smile

Freedom of Fear

I admit it, I have had a particular terrifying fear for about 16 years now.  I have let the fear of this particular rejection rule my life and my decisions in so many ways.  Now in most recent weeks, I have had to face that fear.  All the maneuvers to avoid and run from that fear have caught up with me regardless of whatever actions that I took. 

Avoiding fear, in my case, has created so much turmoil and entanglement.  I regret the fact that I have not dealt with it sooner.  It would not have been easy to deal with it EVER!  Ignoring it did not make anything productive of the situation.  The outcome was inevitable.  My attempt to take control and guide this fear to a healthy place only backfired in my face.  

Now the healing begins.  This has changed me.  It has changed my relationships.  I have become comfortably numb.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I have certain people put in my charge that need my full attention.  As long as I feel that people hold hostility and hate toward me I cannot move forward in that relationship.  I have boundaries that I didn't know I had.  Even in the distance of my heart the love is still there. 

I have been trying to salvage relationships that I have destroyed.  That's what you do, right?  The problem is, I have been trying to rebuild from the scrap and ashes of what that destruction left behind.  This time--NO! Time heals.  Love and healing make the hate and hostility fade.  I only desire love.  I desire to rebuild fresh and new.  I don't know what that looks like because I am not there yet.  I am free, but I'm just learning how to fly.

 

"The Oven Is On Fire!!!"

Early one morning last week our 15 year old asked to bake some cookies.  "Sure".  I mean what could happen, right?  A few minutes later (during the preheat process) there was much hollering, a ball of flames from the oven, fire extenguisher in use, and a house full of  black smoke and white powder.

As things began to settle, I peered into the oven to see what was the cause of all this chaos.  "Zach! Why is your glow stick in the oven?...)  He response was a detailed explaination of how he was checking to see if the stick had recharged after being in the freezer overnight.  "It was the darkest place for me to try it." 

I called Darren to explain that we had an event that led us to use to fire extenguisher for the first time in 18 years of marriage.  I also complained about the house being full of white powder despite our attempts to air it out.  The catch about that is, that when I removed my glasses and put in my contacts the white powder disappeared (duh!).  In the chaos, I had neglected to acknowledge that I had the glasses on and that they were covered in a thick powder like the rest of me. 

It was a huge mess to clean up but very minor compared to the worst case scenario.  And be warned, the liquid inside of the neon glow stick is flammable.  You will be amazed at how hilariously grateful you are when things could have been A LOT worse.

Introduction

This is our awesome granddaughter.
Must I say more?
She is absolutely incredible.
 We thank God every moment for her existence, she is a true gift.

 

I apologize for the delayed update. 

 Life has taken a crazy/happy turn or 12 the last few months. 

 I received a very nice card from my grandmother today that sums up the year for me.

 

" One of the good things

about getting older

is that we eventually learn

What is important

and brightens our lives

and what is of little concern --

But no matter the wishes

and dreams in our hearts,

no matter the paths that we take,

The dear ones we cherish

add joy to our days

with the wonderful differnce

they make." 

Family

Happy Holidays 2011

The Clonts Family

 

 

 

 

Happy Fall 'Yall

It has been a fun fall for the family.  We have been to festivals and costume parties.  Tonight we will be passing out candy to the trick-or-treater's on campus here at the Marland Children's Home.

It has been a little "tricky" for us with all of the traditional foods and treats available in our area.  Our good friends cooked up some "seaweed and octopus" for us.  And we have been lucky enough to have gluten free goods to bake and take to the outings we have attended.  Tonight the kids are feasting on a (small) bag of treats from our local health food store.  All are gluten free and most are sweetened with fruit juices.  Grammy and Poppy stopped by with our favorite treats -- Fruits and Nuts so we are rockin' this gluten free thing this season.



So Much fun at the Marland Children's Home Fall Festival
that their eyes popped out and went crazy!



May I present a BeyBlader, A Flapper Dancer and an Evil Bat girl
who later went as a BeyBlade Fixer

Kallie Volunteering at the Marland Children's Home
Fall Festival

Bobbing for apples with our friends

Moving Forward

We must progress forward lest we digress.

This past few years has been a whirlwind of emotion to say the least.  Standing in prayer as our oldest child has been through a journey far beyond her years.  The past is in the past and we look toward the future.  With the future brings a new love into her life and a budding friendship for our family. 

From this new relationship we welcome a new baby to the family.

Darren and I are going to be grandparents. 



9 weeks



The news is just beginning to seem like reality.  We are excited about what the future will bring for our family. This hip, hop granny is now looking for a modern (young) grandma name for my grandchildren to call me.  I became a momma at 26 and I look to be a grandma at 36.  So my mom is "Nanna" and Darren's mom is "Grammy" and our grandmothers are "Grandma".  Kallie calls me Marmie so I don't think that can be my Granny name, Ruled out "Nina" (too close to Tina and means Aunt). Considering "Mimi" "Omi" or to just let the baby call me what it will (but its hard to wait that long and call myself what, "Grandma"?!--not)

Good Bye Dr. Pepper

I. Am. Vegan.

I am taking the plunge to be more disciplined.  I believe in the vegan lifestyle and i have been teetering between vegan and vegetarian for months now.  I feel so much better when I am true to my vegan side and I am prepared to get after it again.  I always feel like if I make a decision to change I have to binge first.  Yesterday morning I bought a two liter of the Dr. and yes, I consumed the entire bottle over the course of the day-by myself-all of it.  The sugar, the carbonation, the caffiene . . . All effect me negatively and I OD'd!

So bye-bye cheese and mayo and hello eliptical! 

We have taken drastic steps to change our lifestyle in the past year.  Our little family is reaping the benefits,  I am so proud of them. I could do without narrow-minded critics though :)  I am not trying to force my lifestyle on anyone, yet they treat my ideas like they are a disease.  People either understand, or they don't, there is really no gray area there!

We are making choices to minimalize our life, eat more healthy and have the energy to persue our passions. 

Caption Contest

Friends--
It has been a while since we gave away some free stuff so here goes

Caption Contest:
Leave a comment here, facebook, twitter, text or email me.  Give us a fitting caption for this picture.  Winner will be chosen by Darren and myself.  The winner will receive a free pair of earrings of their choice from http://www.dartinstudio.com/  ($10 value + free shipping or delivery).  All wrapped up nice and pretty for you to give as a gift or as a present for yourself.  This means you gentleman can enter to win, too.  You need a gift for that special person in your life (i.e. wife, girlfriend, sister, momma . . . you get the point!) here's your opportunity.

You can enter to win as many times as you like.  Please be sure that your entry is not anonymous if you would actually like to w.i.n. lol!  Happy Captioning, we are looking forward to your comments!
(We will take entries for this contest until Sunday, Septempber 18th, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. No purchase necessary and any other disclaimers that come up will be added here as they come up).

Science and Art



I love this picture but what it represents is even more fun.

Darren asked the kids to go outside and collect some items to view under the magnifying glass.  A few of the items are shown here.  While under close examination, each of the kids were asked to draw a replication of some of the things that you could only see very close up.  They did explore the items thoroughly and some really great drawings were created.  Of course the experiment wouldn't have been any fun if they couldn't have been able to see how many of these items they could burn holes into with the magnifying glass :0)

Feathers and Crochet

 I love crocheted jewelry and my girls love feather earrings.  So in some of my spare time this week I have dabbled in making a little of both.

My girls are going crazy over the feathers and all I can think about is, what must the little birds endure in order to have their feathers gathered (???plucked??? ewwww... ) and then dyed and sanitized in order for us to decorate ourselves with them.  (I know I have mentioned before that I am an overthinker to a fault) I did have fun listening to the girls squeal with delight with each new pair of earrings that I designed.

Now the crocheted lariat necklaces are more my speed :)  I hope that everyone is having a great week!

No Thank You

I hate feeling obligated to do something that makes me uncomfortable.  I want to do what feels right and not what someone guilts me into doing.  Hence, I am learning to say "No, Thank You" and learning that following my passions makes me happy and I am finding where I *FIT* in the ultimate scheme of things.

Am I just stubborn and spoiled?--may.be.  More than that I am on a quest for peace and joy.  Know where you stand and what your principles are.  When the storm comes you refer back to your core instead of being wrapped up in the confusion and distractions.  Now, practicing what I preach--that is the challenge.

Have I mentioned that I am blessed with a fantastic supportive partner?  He just hangs on for the (wild) ride.  He completes me.

Holistic Living. Natural Learning

What do Holistic Living and Natural Learning mean to you?

Our family has always been about finding natural alternatives to conventional ideas.  Sometimes out of desire, other times out of desperation.  Regardless of the motivation, finding an alternative method is just our way.  Just when I think I have it half way figured out--WRONG!  It is a continuous learning process. 

The choices we make are not for everybody.  Some things feel unreachable for us at this point but we hope to get there as soon as possible.  Living life on a smaller scale, be a contributer not just a consumer, finding happiness in the miracles every day all around us, being creative with our resources, respect for all people and ideas.  Live and Learn. 

I will be blogging more about some of our alternative choices in the near future--stay tuned!

Quick Breakfast

Gluten Free Breakfast

Rice Cake, Honey, Bananna
Cashews, Raisins, Apples

Vegetarian.  Vegan if you substitute the honey for a vegan sweetner.

In addition my little lovelies got thier first dose of Daily Vitamins (I'm a big fan of Nature's Plus Chewables, they include many whole food sources); Vitamin C Chewable Tablet 500mg; and started on thier hydration for the day.  I will blog about our experience with  supplements and hydration soon.