The start of an adventure

So I'm going to do it.  I've obsessed over it for the last few days.  My friends tell me I should do it.  I'm determined to do it. 
I'm talking about starting a blog.  And so starts the beginning of craft, bake, domesticate.  I'm still learning the ins and outs of the blogging world, and I'm sure it will grow over the next few months as ideas become reality and inspiration becomes greatness, but I'm jumping in with both feet. 

First let me introduce myself.  My name is Nicole and I'm a small town girl who lives in her own slice of the American dream.  My husband, Mark, and I have been married for 9 years and have two adorable children.  Our son Pierce is 7 and our daughter Camryn is 4.  Don't forget about Scout, our lovable 2 and half year old lab that we rescued from the shelter. 

I'm a homemaker, but I like to believe that I'm a different kind of homemaker.  I live my life at full throttle because I bore easily.  I enjoy the modern woes of motherhood that include but aren't limited to running my kids back and forth to a gazillion things, volunteering for stuff at their schools, and cheering them on from the sidelines of whatever activity they are doing at the time.

On the other hand, I enjoy the old traditions of a different era.  I like to bake bread from scratch (although I now have a kitchenaid mixer and a breadmaker that speeds things up!), I love canning quart after quart of fresh produce in the summer months so that my family can enjoy the fresh tastes all winter long, and I love to do crafts of all kinds that make our house a little more homey. 

In this blog I hope to accomplish a few things.
1. I want to keep a record for myself of the things that I do and the accomplishments I've achieved.  Sometimes as a mother there isn't a good way of "gauging" our accomplishments.  I like to make lists to see what I've gotten done and this blog will be a way for me to see what I've done.
2.  I want to share the things I do and how I do them with others.  I hate finding an idea I like, and it's "for sale."  I am a crafty person and I like to do things my own way, for myself.  I don't want to buy something that I just know I can make.  And I don't want to buy instructions to make something either.  So I won't ever sell my ideas or instructions.  I will simply share them.  However, if someone wants to buy a completed craft item from me because they don't have the time/desire to make it for themselves, then I would be more than happy to!
3.  I just want to have fun and share with others things I like, things I find in the big world of the internet, and random thoughts that I have.  I scrapbook, papercraft, quilt, decorate, and do any other craft that strikes my fancy.  I love finding new recipes to cook or bake.  I also will share Nicole's way of being a domestic diva. 

So what do you say?  Want to share the adventure with me?  Stay tuned as I embark on an journey of crafting, making yummy food, and achieving domestic greatness.

Lots of love,
Nicole