Wrap me up in a bow :)

I'm not sure what caused it. Maybe it was the cute little pair of silver bow stud earrings I found the other day at Rue 21. Maybe it's my love for all things feminine and simple. Maybe it's the fact that the first girl in 14 years was born into my family recently. Whatever the reason, I have a newfound obsession with bows. My mother and I were shopping in Louisville earlier in the week and bows were everywhere! Sweaters, screenprinted tshirts, bow headbands. I was in heaven. It even inspired me to make my own "wish list" on etsy.com today. I hope you enjoy these bow-utiful selections as much as I do :)

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf8000e99648eefe4d9f312/bow-utiful?index=0

Living with purpose

I've been feeling very.....unsettled lately. I read books about finding your purpose in life, finding that one thing that lights you up and brings you alive. I heard a quote the other day--"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive." I love the quote, but with all due respect to the author, it's just not that easy. I know what makes me come alive: youth in agriculture, the FFA, painting, event planning. Yet getting a job in any of these have, what seems like, unsurmountable obstacles that I haven't been able to get past. Ag job after ag job comes open and I apply. And I'm always given the "You're great, but we went with someone better" speech. Okay, maybe not that harsh, but it always feels that way whenever you're on the receiving end of that message. I try to convey in my interviews that I have passion, drive, energy--everything I think a successful employee needs. But it seems that the job always goes to someone older, more experienced, with more connections. And I am left, yet again, to wonder how I'm supposed to get a job in the field I majored in. Did I make a mistake in my beginning college advising session? I feel like my major should have come with a warning label: "You're going to graduate college and feel invinceable, but this won't last. You'll be 2 years out of graduation, still looking for that mythical "perfect" job." Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive. I knew that I wasn't going to find "the job" as soon as I graduated college, but I thought I would at least get an entry level agriculture job and eventually be able to move my way up the ladder. But with every interview I have, the more discouraged I become. I wonder if I should give up on the agriculture idea all together, or at least until the economy picks up a little. So I go to my second passion: painting and creativity. As most of you know, I have a job on the side where I paint a variety of different things. When I've had a discouraging day, I think, "Is this something I could be doing as a career??" Then the reality hits: what if I fail? what if I don't make enough money? how would I get good health insurance? what about benefits that I would get from a normal 9-5 job? I say that I'd like a job that I feel passionate about, despite what the paycheck is, but the reality is a little different. Dreams and passion don't necessarily pay the bills. And how would I promote my business to be successful enough to make up for the paycheck that I would normally be getting? I can't afford to open a shop as of right now, as much as I'd love to do something like that. I have my "daydreaming days" where I think about opening my own craft store and offer event planning services. I think about days filled with handpainted signs and planning Disney-themed birthday parties and elegant weddings. I guess instead of focusing on the things I don't have, I need to find the good in the situation that I'm in. Maybe God is keeping me in my current job to teach me something....as hard as that lesson may be to understand. Rick Warren wrote in his book "The Purpose Drive Life" that "If you're alive, there's a purpose to your life." While I don't think my current situation is my purpose in life, I do think that there's a purpose to why I'm there. And maybe I'm not meant to know that purpose. Maybe I'm supposed to suck it up until God puts something better in front of me. So I guess my daydreams will have to do for now. At least until I figure a way to find the things that make me come alive into a full time job.

Labyrinth 2 on Table Connect for iPhone

We are currently testing Table Connect for iPhone with various games and are testing how far we can go :-)

Warning: Try only if you're fit, sore muscles guaranteed! (Still hurts ...)

Labyrinth 2 by Illusion Labs is great fun and available on the App Store!

Table Connect for iPhone - video demo launch!

Yesterday we had a short visit from a friend and he was lucky enough to be the first outsider to test our alpha firmware on the Table Connect for iPhone.

Check it out!

F.A.Q.

Due to the massive response and interest we decided to quickly set up a little FAQ section that may answer the most asked questions. Please be patient with us since we don't have any press inquiry manager or whatsoever. You can reach it via the site menu. Thanks for your patience!

I have a super mommy.

Campaigning has taken over my life. Everything in my life, besides getting my father elected, has taken a back seat...and I'm sure it's been much to my husband's dismay. No more homemade dinners ready when he gets off work, no more spotless house, no more freshly laundered towels and work clothes. My business has picked up in orders, due to the Christmas season fast approaching, and I can't find the time to sit down and write my name, much less paint a sign for someone. McDonald's drive-thru has become my new dinnertime hotspot. I do a weekly clean-out of my car and find an array of items ranging from clothing to shoes to water bottles to bumper stickers. As limited as my free time is and as stressed as I feel about this entire election, I realize that my stress and exhaustion level absolutely pale in comparision to that of my mother's. I always admired my mom and her ability to multi-task and get many things done while being a community volunteer and a parent to three girls. But through this election, I've discovered that my mother is secretly Superwoman. She has basically become dad's campaign manager. She keeps up with his day-to-day activities, always knowing where he needs to be and what the required dress code is for the event. She has turned her home into campaign central, painstakingly organizing each voting precinct and ensuring that we know which doors we will be hitting each day. She is always aware of how many brochures, door hangers, bumper stickers and yard signs are in stock and who wants one of each. During this campaign, she celebrated both her birthday and her wedding anniversary by walking door to door and telling people about my dad. All without a complaint. My entire family has spent the last year talking about my dad--what an amazing person he is, what kind of senator he'll be, why people should elect him--all while my mom has stood in the back and supported him. Politics aren't her thing. She wouldn't be the first one to talk about a political race or say that she enjoyed a political debate. And despite that fact, she's been by dad's side from day one. So here's to you, mom. Thank you for showing everyone (not just me) what a loving, supportive wife looks like. So vote Dennis Parrett for State Senator, not only because he's a great guy, but because his wife is an amazing person too. :)

Follow us on Twitter & Facebook ...

... and stay up-to-date with our final tests before we release the prototype presentation!
Follow us on Twitter- Like us on Facebook