Sewing Progress

This is my most recent sewing attempt: Doll #5, made for Bella's friend Ashley's birthday party. I made the whole thing last night from about 8pm-2:30 am.
It is the closest thing to my vision that I have created thus far, albeit with some obvious if not egregious errors.
She's a fairy with wings and a removable tulle skirt. Her hair is made of fleece, her trunk of an upcycled sheet, and her body muslin. Her face is hand-embroidered.

My main complaints are the arms- they're a little wonky as you can probably tell from the way they stand away from the body- and the head/neck region has some issues. I need to further tweak the pattern, but so far doll #5 is the most successful.

I need any input though- Honest constructive criticism, the good, the bad and the ugly. Would you buy this? What would you pay for it or expect to pay on etsy? What features do you like and what would you change?
Once I get this pattern the way that I like it I have ideas for many variations.
Help!

Affirmation

Something cool happened tonight.
Bella came to Timm because she couldn't find me. Feigning ignorance as to my whereabouts, Timm systematically told her to check each part of our little abode. She came back after each one, exclaimng 'nope!' Then she looked outside and verified that both cars were in the driveway, so I didn't leave in one of them. Here's the good part- then she deduced, 'I guess she went for a run.'
She was right.
I was running. But better than that is the knowledge that she knows that. I have made enough of an impression, even if she doesn't personally see me running, that running is something I do.
Simple.

Self-Indulgent Rant, or 'Creative Frustration'

I tend to be very passionate about whatever it is that I am interested in at the time. Sometimes these things are more fleeting than others, but I approach everything head-on with an all-consuming devotion. Even if it turns out that I lost interest quickly or change my mind, at the time I really was genuinely passionate about it. One cannot tell from the outset whether the notion will be transient or lasting because I always have this genuine interest.
Usually I research the ins and outs of the subject before deciding whether or not to pursue it. Such was the case with keeping chickens. I was really interested in it, but approached it with the caution it deserved, not wanting to ultimately be stuck with a flock of chickens and their adjoining waste if later the idea lost some of it luster. I read 2 or 3 books, talked to a couple of experienced chicken keepers and mulled it over for a while. Fortunately I decided that at least for the time being, chicken-keeping was more than I wanted to handle. Whew- we dodged that one. Luckily for everyone, my sometimes-fleeting interests do not always carry the threat of avian bird flu, mounds of feces or accompanying flies. My current love does not come with any real threats to my safety or the happiness of others around me.
Sewing.
I've been into sewing for a long time. I started my first quilt 12 years ago, and it is still unfinished, not for lack of interest but perhaps because of the magnitude of the project. That's another problem. After reading and researching, sketching and brainstorming I attack it with a zeal that would indicate that I actually know what I'm doing or have experience in the field. I figure, 'I can figure it out. I can do that.' Oftentimes I cannot. Then frustration and cursing ensues.
Now that Fiona is officially one year old (!!) I feel like I have the freedom and presence of mind to explore my passions. Finishing a lap quilt while at Michelle's house gave me the confidence to sew again, so I came home and started filling notebook with designs and ideas. I have visions of grandeur of filling my etsy shop again, updating daily, hand-made gifts for everyone, shunning the opulence and emptiness of consumer-driven store bought gifts. I start collecting materials everywhere I can- Goodwill has been a great place for vintage sheets and fabric. I start drawing patterns and get to work creating, trying to translate my ideas to tangible items. This is where the frustration comes in. I don't actually know what I'm doing. My talents and abilities do not match my visions! It is SO frustrating to have this break in communication. It makes me feel demoralized and like I have no business doing this and why do I even try?! So I curse and pout and put it down. The next day I wake up, look at it and tackle it again.
I need help.
Maybe more ways than one.

Milestone Birthdays

Updates to come...

Verdict

The verdict is in: I am not doomed to an eternity of humiliation and blistered heels. Not today, anyway.
I was able to get in 2 runs this week before the race. Not great, but something. The first one was killer and the second was pretty good. I was still feeling nervous about it, but ready to face the music. The result? I beat my last time! By...

3 seconds. Seriously.

Awww yeah- Rockstar!

However, in my defense, this course was very hilly and harder than my previous two- Plus, i have been so lazy the last couple of months that I'm almost amazed I beat my time at all. However, I am still anxious to register for one next month and spend the next few weeks training to shave a couple/few minutes of my time. If I'm going to keep doing this, and I plan to, I need to find a sponsor! We just don't have it in the budget to pay race registration fees, let alone every month! The price of fitness.

I'm proud of myself for doing it even though I was afraid of the results this time. I'm proud that I ran the first mile without stopping to take a walk break. I'm proud that I completed a third race, that I have stuck with it and was ready to face the consequences of my laziness. I'm proud that it inspired me to keep working. However. It is hard not to diminish my efforts and achievements. I finished 95/100 in my division. I was in the 5th percentile. Awesome. Now, if there was a division for 28-year old women who have had three children by C-section in the last four years, one in the last year, who have only been running inconsistently for a few months, has lost 35 pounds and has Morton's neuroma, then maybe I could place. Anyone know of that race?
It kind of makes me feel like a loser that I am proud of my meager achievement, that my best is so far from anyone else's worst...I know I am generalizing- I wasn't the very last, after all, but still.
I imagine that everyone else there has always been running, that it has been easy for them, that they've always enjoyed it and been good at it. That none of them were ever in my shoes. Literally and figuratively.
I have plans and goals for the future but I get frustrated thinking that maybe I don't have the same athletic potential as others. That my goals may be unrealistic and laughable. Will I make the progress that I hope for? Do I just have to patient with my somewhat slow progression? I still feel like a fraud among other runners.
One more under my belt.

Internet Shopping Just Got Cheaper!

Despite my lack of pictures, detailed shopping reports, and itemized receipts, I am still very much in the coupon game. Just last Tuesday I spent $28 at Lowe's Food Store, and saved over $60! How's that for playing the coupon game? Over $88 worth of groceries for just $28- Boo-ya! I am always searching for a way to contribute to our household, and since there isn't a hot demand for a 20-something stay-at-home-mom who didn't finish her degree and is only available some nights after 7 pm, I rely on couponing to make a dent in the budget.
Obviously there are the newspaper coupons that I espouse, but those are not universally lucrative for everyone, depending on where you live and whether or not your stores double. Additionally, I know that not everyone has time to clip and file. However- retail internet coupons are universal and not subject to doubling and the like. They are especially attractive to homebodies such as myself, giving me one less reason to venture out into the world! When I need a specific item, I always shop around online before purchasing, sometimes belaboring the process and the purchase. I might mill around for days before I buckle down and just finish my checkout, cringing a bit as the funds are withdrawn from my ever-dwindling bank account.
Enter: CouponChief.com. This site has hundreds of stores with shared coupon codes, uploaded by the site administrators and members themselves. I really like the interface and thought it was very user-friendly, unlike some other coupon sites I have stopped frequenting because I always seem to be lost in a maze of text and ads. You can search for stores by name, keyword, or alphabetically, and you'd be surprised how many specialty stores they have listed. Of course my perennial favorites are there- codes for Target or Amazon. The cool thing is that they have people rate the coupons and state whether or not the coupon worked for them and on what date. There are generally several different codes for the same store, so you can pick and choose the best discount for your type of purchase. Another thing I liked about it is that when you click on the coupon code, it automatically copies the code so that you are ready to use it at checkout. The only thing I didn't like, and thought to be inconvenient, is that you cannot be certain the coupon will work until you are completing your checkout. You might spend a long time shopping and adding things to your cart only to find that the coupon isn't accepted anymore. This of course is not a fault of the site, but merely the way of internet shopping. Still, I think next time I have an online purchase I will definitely browse through CouponCheif to see what discounts are available to be had. Give it a try! This is the simple, no-fuss kind of coupon-clipping anyone can (and should) do!

Judgement Day

I happen to know exactly when my Judgement Day is coming. One week from tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 12th. At precisely 8 am.
You see, there is a 5k in the city that morning, one that I talked up and got my dad to register for. My dad, who's not even a runner, and is now probably more prepared than I am.
The problem is, I have been very lax with my running recently. As in, I'm not doing it. I did pretty well while in Utah, and boasted working out 9 times, or an average of 3 times a week while there. Not all of it was running, but most of it was. Since coming home...I think I've gone once. I have all of the typical yet valid excuses, chief among them being time. I insist on running alone, as going with the girls almost defeats the purpose, the solitude I crave. That means in order to go when Timm is home with the girls, I have to go at 5 am or after 8 pm. Unfortunately both of those times are dark so I don't feel comfortable going on the greenway. And unfortunately I don't relish waking up at 5 am, which is practically the middle of the night, and might as well be 2 am. It feels insane.
I feel wayward- like I am due for some serious repentance that is not going to be easy. I am going to pay the price and the longer I wait, the harder it's going to be. I am fortunate enough to know my day of reckoning, and there is going to be some blood, sweat, and tears if I am going to emerge relatively unscathed. My goal is to run about 1 5k a month and improve my time every time, at least for now when I have SO much room for improvement. At this rate I'll be lucky to finish.
I am going to have to exercise a lot of willpower this week and spend a lot of time repenting- not on my knees, but on my feet.