Urban Baby Runway

My very first blog began in early 2005 and I posted with a consistent frequency. Readership grew, blogging friends were made, many which remain today, and it felt good to be a part of such a strong community, albeit online. And if it weren’t for that blog, there may never have been Urban Baby Runway. From blogging, I found a comfort online that I didn’t always experience in real life which gave me the confidence that whatever I put out there would do alright. I was starting the business while simultaneously receiving invaluable feedback during the process.

I’ve always enjoyed writing, I’m not sure I was ever particularly good at it but it was a strong interest that wasn’t mind-numbing, unlike that nasty Us Magazine habit I picked up. I enjoyed having a place to do just that. Overtime parenting became more demanding while the store became more successful (the nice way to say it became a lot more work, thankfully). Life evolved in a way that just didn’t allow as much room for blogging. My posting slowed down, the quality declined and reading others became pretty much obsolete. It had suddenly become a chore and like most other chores, I eliminate them or at least avoid them.

Blogging was slowly pushed aside and still in need of some form of outlet, the blog was replaced by Twitter. I started my personal Twitter account in February 2008. But lately a post with 140 character limitations hasn’t been enough. So here I am again with a fresh start at so many things and I’ll see where this leads. It will be a mix of my personal life as a mother, business owner and more, tales from the work-at-home trenches, store news and everything else that doesn’t fall in one of the above categories. I’m setting no expectations for myself or anyone. I don’t care what it becomes, whether it’s big (unlikely) or little and infrequent.

But what I’ve realized is that with the decline of the blog and relying on Twitter and texting as the majority of my communication, I’ve forgotten how to write in a way that includes grammar of any kind, complete sentences and proper paragraph structure. I didn’t even know this was possible having done it most of my life, but after months and months of lazy writing, I guess it’s inevitable. So forgive me for being quite rusty.

As embarrassing as it may be to have sub-par writing out there, I enjoy the challenge. After all, being able to communicate well in text is kind of nice to have.

It is quite drab around here isn’t it? I’ve yet to pretty up this place but it’s coming. I thought I’d do things a little differently this time. I have several blogs that have never seen the light of day because I put so much effort in to the look of it, I was burned out before the writing began.

So I thought I would try things backwards this time and start with what counts. If I keep at it, I’ll reward myself with a makeover. Until then I’m focusing on the content.

Despite the headaches that come along with the holiday season, it’s still the best time of the year. Thanksgiving gets us going and has always been my favorite holiday. It has the same festive cheer as Christmas but with the sole focus of family and friends and the blessings they bring. It marks the start of the holidays; the tree goes up the following day and remains until New Year’s (yup, it’s artificial), the Christmas songs begin to play, there’s just an excitement that begins to build up in the air. An excitement even louder than the grumblings of adults battling checkout lines and licking one too many stamps.

Christmas, of course, remains the biggest deal around here. Because Thanksgiving gets the holiday season going, the end of Christmas day when everyone is overstuffed, overstimulated and overtired kinda signals the end of festivities. We’ll wake up the next day and return to days without countdowns, a return to normalcy. And normal is good! In fact, normal is great and my goodness, sometimes normal is very much needed. But until normal returns, nothing can stop me from getting in the holiday spirit.

Then there’s this year… This year has brought many changes I would not have expected. Some are amazingly wonderful and others remain quite difficult. I hate to admit that this has pretty much kept my holiday cheer at Grinch status. The biggest difference of 2009 is having to split time with my son for the holidays. He’s my love, my world and admittedly often the pain in my neck but he’s my boy. And missing him for a minute on what should be the most joyous time of the year is making it hard to celebrate all together.

I’ve been working hard to not let it show, I can’t say for sure if I’m succeeding but he seems to have caught the Christmas bug. Julian is 4 years old this Christmas and so far this has been the best age for the mysteries of Santa. Santa, it seems, has reached God-like levels to my little boy. He clung to every word mall-Santa said and randomly ponders such wonders as:

Who’s the boss at the North Pole?
Are there talking dogs there?
Are real live elfs [sic] on this planet?
And as he saw a teenager walk by wearing a Santa hat, he asked “I saw a Santa hat. Was he an elf?”

Now how can I possibly be completely scrooge-y with this little curious and excited mind? Still, I feel it and hope I can keep up the act just a little longer. I know next year will be a tad easier and even more fun as long as we keep the truth about Santa under-wraps until then.

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Come on, it’s fun. Or at least it’s easy.

I miss blogging but my life does not miss the self-imposed pressure that maintaining a blog with a devoted readership requires.  Regardless I needed a place to call home for those sometimes quite random thoughts and plans floating around in my head before they spew on to the ears of unfortunate passers by.  And so here they land.  A low-pressure space – not a blog – to settle in.  I make no promises, set no expectations and aim to impress no one.  I’ve no idea in what direction this will head but I can say it’ll be a little bit business and a whole lotta life.  After all they have become one and the same.  Enjoy.