Farewell

It is the weirdest thing really, being at home having all this time... you would think that my blog would have a ton of new posts?? However, with my husband & son being here all I want to do is soak up every minute with them. So, "Bishop`s Room" will probably not be around too much longer. My plan is that when I finish my interior design business webpage that I will add a blog onto that....

Thank you all for all your love and support over the time I have written this page...you have been with me through more happiness and struggles than you know.

Today is my birthday and to celebrate we are going shopping and getting some seafood.

Hope you all have a wonderful day as well and I promise to still be around the blogospere and on your blogs :)

Dairy of a Business Owner

After almost two weeks of doing my own thing...it seems that there is a possibility that it might actually work.

My thoughts however, are still uneasy, because they have been taught that to succeed, you must wake up early everyday, sit in a car for 2 plus hours and when you finally arrive to your cubicle...the boss is the one in charge, not you.

I spent the whole first week calling just about every contact, I have met in my four years in the field. Most of those turned out to be a good luck, etc. but a good number of them see jobs in the near future, too.

The nest thing on my agenda is to creating a website.....but I can`t decide to either purchase a dot com or just create another blog for the time being...?

Valentine

When my husband & I first started dating we were totally the mushy type. Little love notes everywhere....One Valentine`s day, I bought a heart shaped bottle and put little fortune sized messages telling him all the things I loved about him....


To this day, we still have the bottle and pull it out from time to time...and remember our romance when it was in first bloom. Making something equally as touching for your sweetie is really a snap; all you need to do is 1) pick up a bottle or jar with a lid. 2) Write down all the adorable things about your lover 3) cut them out and seal them up....Hope you and your loved on have a Happy Valentines Day!

Welcome to the 1st day of the rest of your life...

Do you believe in the saying that when a door is shut, that a window is opened?

Well, basically in the past week someone slammed the door in my face and then threw my happy ass right out that window... And as I laid on the grass all I could see was the clouds as they floated up ahead and kept moving.

The earth does not stop for us and therefore neither shall I. For way too long there has been a secret wish to own my own business, but never had the courage to take the first step. Call it destiny, fate or whatever you like, but someone has made that leap for me and all I have to do is keep up.

Brandi Schaefer

Architectural Drafting & Interior Design

Founded February 02, 2009

Reduction in Force

Anger, Stage One
Denial, Stage Two
Anxiety, Stage Three...

Tonight, it must be that my emotions have moved onto the next stage because my thoughts are no longer racing and my body is left with a strange numbness. Sleep still has not come since they told me that I was no longer safe with in their walls. The structure that protected me from the reality of the world and helped me to provide what I needed for my family.

As I packed up my desk, all that was left was a memory of what once was...the crumbs from to many skipped lunches huddled over a computer keyboard and one faded, unused art marker that will be thrown out with the rest of the trash.

And somehow... I am calm.

E.L.F.

Eyes, Lips, Face...Has anyone else ever heard of this brand of makeup? My friend just sent me their link this morning and I was amazed to find eyeshadows for under a $1.00.

I was especially impressed with their predesigned and custom kits....like the bridal best,the smokey eye & their men`s kit all pictured above...Is it too good to be true? What do you think??

25 Random Facts

1.Was tagged and wrote this meme on my facebook page, so I figured...two birds one stone...
2. I sometimes forget that I am not Scarlet O` Hara...my life is not a movie and yes, I`m just being overly dramatic.
3. I really enjoy dancing and want to start taking formal classes.
4. I love the smell of my son. Sometimes I squeeze him so tight with our faces pushed together just hoping to inhale every bit of him.
5.My husband is the most brilliant, positive and good hearted person I have ever met. Honestly, without him, I would be lost.
6. I like learning new things. I am constantly researching and teaching myself.
7. Plants and flowers are my weakness. Not saying that i can keep them alive, but I`ll still buy them.
8. Natural cures and remedies are so intesting to me. I can pretty much tell you what foods to eat or herbs to use for pretty much any ailment. Come on ask me... :)
9. Right now, my job as an interior designer mostly consists of using an AutoCAD program to make an architectural documents for contractors to read.
10. I miss being pregnant and hope to have another baby one day.
11. My in laws have such a strong sence of family and have really inspired me to make traditions in my own family.
12. If i have a problem, i still to this day, call my daddy for help.
13. I have always had a rebellious streak and loved getting into trouble, being loud and having fun.
14. However, I take everything to heart and tend to be overly sensitive most of the time.
15. Recently discovered a whole new world in social media and have made many online friends from writing / reading blogs, etc.
16. Still amazed that my husband actually built an arcade in our garage...
17. My family is Irish on my dad`s side. Scots Irish on my mothers...from the McDonald clan. (So basically, I`m very white and get a lot of freakles.)
18. "Buffalo Bill" Cody was my greatgrandfather`s cousin.


19. I get sucked into way too many prime time TV shows.
20. Really just want to be lounging on a hammock right now.
21. I still do not understand death and don`t like to think about it.
22. Really want to go to Graceland over Memorial Day, but my husband thinks that it`s too southern a redneck thing to do.
23. I think I need another tattoo on my back, but am too much of a baby to go and get it done.
24. I root for the underdog and laugh when someone trips.
25. My husband thinks he knows me better than I know myself so, i probably should have had him write this for me...

Rar Rar Press

Just can`t resist this cute little Valentines Day card from

Rar Rar Press...

{Found via Etsy}

Hibernation

In the heart of winter we tend to retreat indoors and I often find myself warm under the covers of my bed with a good book. Our bedding is very plush down comforter, but the problem is that other than the border for the duvet, it is lacking in the color dept.
Maxwell of Apartment Therapy recently had a great post explaining "How to Build the Perfect Winter Bed" that I am going to use to spruce up my own little burrow....



1. When buying colors, don't buy all the same color; mix it up. Two or three colors at a time work well and you can always use them in many different combinations. Matchy sets are boring.

2. Don't abandon white. White sheets and pillow cases create great contrast with dark sheets and duvets, so consider them a part of your mix.

3. Copy what you love. The first colorful bedding I ever bought was a slavish copy of a picture in The Company Store catalog and it was a mix of brown, cream and white flannel sheets (above). Putting the bed together was a great firsthand experience in seeing how it worked.

4. Start simple. Here's a really simple starting combination that I've used a number of times:
• Medium color - top sheet and two pillows

• Dark color - duvet and bottom fitted sheet

• Light color - White or off white for two pillows

5. Go warm or cool. Mixing these two groupings of colors (warm: reds, oranges, yellows, etc cool: blue, grey, green, etc...) can be tricky, so keep it simple and choose combos of either warm OR cool colors.

Did you get to watch the inauguration? I was tuned into CNN via my work computer and got to see the first part, but lost bandwidth right before Obama came out. Boo.

Well, if you are in the presidential spirit today also... why don`t you make your own "Obamicon" — your image in a style inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic poster!

Here is my little masterpiece and you can make your own right here.

This fun little patriotic time waster was found via How About Orange

Domesticated Lady

I hate the fact that I can not make anything....I scroll through all the wonderful blogs showing handmade and beautiful creations from many a talented woman. So, then I turn into Martha Stuart for a second and get my hopes all up, buy the supplies and the project just sits there....or worse, gets completed and looks like shit. Not sure when I decided that I needed to become more domesticated...maybe it was peer pressure, design school. Maybe it was just me living in my own little fantasy world thinking that I had talent in these areas.

I do not.

Honestly, I can cook and love to paint when I have the time...Time, now there`s the kicker.
It is beginning to all come a little clearer now. Time management and realizing that I do not have to be supermom is probably the biggest problem. No, you can not expect to work full time, plan perfect parties, make everyone happy and keep everything sane all the time, accept it. Somebody call a Libra because I think my scales are broken again. Too much work and I become too professional, super working alpha bitch....that really just wants to stay home and sew and play in the garden.

Guess I`ll just have to settle for paying for all the stuff you other talented ladies make for me to envy.

Have you ever wondered exactly how much your child needs to eat to fulfill their five main recommendations for a healthy diet laid out in the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid?
The chart below was found in Men`s Health and is a handy set of guidelines that can help parents to set a foundation of health eating.

Daily Needs
*2 to 3 years old:
Boys and Girls: 1,200 calories
1 cup of fruits
1.4 cups of vegetables
4 oz whole grains
3 oz meat and beans
2 cups milk
4 tsp oils

4 to 8 years old:
Girls: 1,500 calories
Boys: 1,700 calories
1.5 cups fruits
2 cups vegetables
5 oz grains
5 oz meat and beans
2.5 cups milk
4 tsp oils
1.5 cups fruits
2.5 cups vegetables
5.5 oz grains
5 oz meat and beans
3 cups milk
5 tsp oils

9 to 13 years old:
Girls: 1,900 calories
Boys: 2,100 calories
2 cups fruits
2.5 cups vegetables
6 oz grains
5.5 oz meat and beans
3 cups milk
5 tsp oils
2 cups fruits
3 cups vegetables
6.5 oz grains
6.5 oz meat and beans
3 cups milk
6 tsp oils

*According to the USDA; ±300 calories and ±1 serving, depending on daily physical activity

If this looks a little different from your 2-13 yr olds diet, you are not alone. Studies show that only 2 percent of children in America are hitting their daily nurtitional needs...leading to childhood diabeties and obesity as an adult. However, starting introducing children to healthy eating a a young age will and they will have it their whole lives.

Auld Lang Syne

New Years resolutions shed the smallest glimpse into periods of life...and give us the chance to say out loud who we aspire to become in the upcoming future.

In 2002, it was to stop smoking because the party days were coming to a close. Then in 2006 it was to be a good wife because we were building a life together. Last year, there was no time to whisper a hopeful wish. There was a new beautiful baby boy that occupied all the attention...

The clock will strike twelve tonight and looking back on the year we will see how far we have come. If we were to write down all the wonderful accomplishments and happy times from the past year and be able to have read it 5 years in advance it would be almost totally unbelievable to our eyes.

Simply, I am just grateful....I am grateful that I have been given all these wonderful things, but I am unsure who to thank. As a child, we were taught that everything great comes from God, and it wasn`t until later that my mind began to question that fact.

The world can be a scary and confusing place if you do not know where you stand. However, with the dawn brings a new year and a new resolution. This year faith will be found and passed on to my family to complete this phase of our lives.

Mommy Wear

As women, our body goes through many stages and our clothes should reflect our current milestones. Having said that, it becomes even more difficult to style yourself after you have undergone the mircle of childbirth. Sometimes we find it easier to just throw on their velore jogging suits, tennis shoes and run out the door...


So, I wanted to share this collection of the perfect look for the mom on the go, entitled the"Powerhouse Mom." This great lookbook was put together by a fellow style.com reader and it has all the makings of a great modern mommy wardrobe....

This is the style I am striving for in 2009....simple, chic and professional. My goal is to not spend a fortune, just figure out what looks good on me, invest in some good basic pieces and then intergrate them with my current accessories, etc. for a little added personality.

White Elephant

Have you ever done a traditional White Elephant gift swap at any of your holiday parties? Last weekend we did this and it was kind of a riot...

The rules are that you are supposed to find something in your house to wrap up and give as a gift. No buying and anything goes...It was really fun seeing everyone`s different personalities in each gift.
My assortment of goodies in my gift were 1) decorative dried citrus from Pottery Barn 2) Bath & Body Works lotion & soap 3) Sample piece of fabric from Brunswick & Fig 4) Box of Crest Whitestripts.

Everyone was allowed to swap one time, but luckily my aunt got this present the first time and decided to keep it. I ended up with a nice travel kit (still in the box), but some of the more memorable gifts were a football themed nutcracker, beautiful antique Christmas lamp from my grandmother and a book about the many uses of duck tape.

Hope you holidays are filled with fun and lots of good times with your family and friends!!
Try to stay warm out there! Merry Christmas

Elf Yourself

Thanks for all the kind words yesterday. I was in fact feeling very much like a Scrooge, but today is much better. To prove it, here you go...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Holidays from our elf family to yours!

The Grinch

The sparkle in my Christmas cheer went out today. When I left for work this morning my husband said don`t spend too much, we`ve got to pay mortgage.

Our end of the month is always a little tight, but I had no idea that there is absolutely no money....and still more presents to buy.

Last year my son was a month old at this time and now he is walking, pointing at the tree and wants to know who the hell this Santa character is.

Good thing he does not know because I don`t have the heart to tell him that St. Nick won`t be coming this year.

Now, before you start wanting to adopt my family or anything, I should mention that my son is covered in the present department. He has two sets of grandparents that will certainly spoil him to make up for any of mommy & daddy`s misfortunes.

However, all I want for Christmas is for this to change and for me to find a way to connect with my husband again. Our relationship has changed so drasticaly in the past year....

The feelings of inadequacy and resentment that stems from money problems have torn a huge rift between us that is in great need of repair. And it doesn`t help that he is the one for whom I was shopping for today when my card was declined...

Serves me right for using the holidays as an escape from all the crap that is going on in the world and within my own walls lately. Today makes me wish that Christmas was over already.

Giveaway

Scoot on over to Design Mom for her 12 Days of Christmas giveaways!

Enter for a chance to win these great little ornament storage containers, HP printer, Baby boxes from Hable Construction, and many other wonderful prizes! Thanks Design Mom for giving all this wonderful stuff away & getting us in the holiday spirit!!

Delightful

These lovely printable gift tages from Delight... are certainly a treat!

{Found via Creature Comforts}