Bassic Living

I'll See Him Again

2011-11-25T15:50:00.000-06:00

It's been a little over two months since my dad passed away. All the details have been taken care of, and the memorial service has come and gone.

And today, today is the day I finally cried. I didn't expect it. All the while when everyone asked me how I was doing, I kept saying, "I'm okay. I'm happy for him because I know he's in a better place." I didn't feel sadness because I understood that he would no longer have to be imprisoned by his mortal body.

But today, I do feel sad. Maybe it's the fact that Thanksgiving was yesterday. I don't know. I was just sitting at my desk working and some thought must've slipped through my subconscious. Next thing I know I'm sitting here bawling like a baby.

Usually, I'm pretty in touch with my feelings. When I feel things, I usually know why. I know this feeling of sadness that just overcame me is about my dad's passing, but I don't understand why now.

I'm sad for my dad's life. I wish I could've been stronger for him. I wish I could've been more patient, less judgmental, better at letting things roll off my back. I get my stubborn nature from him; but unfortunately, it caused us to often be at odds with one another. I don't regret my relationship with him. I did the best I could. He did the best he could. But, sometimes people doing the best they know how, doesn't necessarily mean things work out as we think they should.

I am sad that dad had such a HARD, HARD life. One of the things about him, though, is that he never quit. Sometimes he'd go off track a bit, but he never quit. He always kept trying to do better, to be better. I wish that he would've had as much happiness as the effort he put into TRYING.

Looking back, it's no lie that there were some really hard times having him for a dad. But that's not what I think of now. Now, I think of all the GOOD things he did and all the LOVE that he had for us. I think of how he kept trying to be a better husband, a better father, a better person. I wish he could have felt more success. I wish I could've been able to applaud his efforts more and judge his weakness less.

I'm thankful to know that God lives. I'm thankful to know that Jesus Christ came to redeem the world and because of the laying down of his life, we will all be able to live again. I'm thankful that I know that my dad's spirit is alive now and that he can be free from mortal pain and sorrow. I know that my dad forgives me for my weakness in loving him. I know, because that's how he is. Just as Jesus loves us, dad would rather have taken any sadness or sorrow upon himself than to have any one of his children experience it.

I'm sure that when I see my dad again, we might still butt heads. It's not like dying makes us perfect. But, I hope, that I will have grown stronger, that I will have learned to be more humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering. I hope that I can love him better.

When You Least Expect It

2011-11-15T19:03:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for a wonderful, kind, gentle husband. As I've mentioned, I grew up with an alcoholic dad. While not all alcoholics are violent or abusive, my dad had some, shall we say, "anger issues". Like most other little girls, I dreamed of growing up, marrying a wonderful husband, and having many babies. But, with my dad as the primary male role model in my life, I didn't hold out much hope for the "wonderful husband" part.

Engagement Photo

Then I grew up. Or, I grew up some, anyway. I went off to college and began to have many wonderful experiences. I learned all kinds of new things, made new friends, and even dated a bit. I was thrilled to find that there were many different types of men in the world. I became convinced I would find the "perfect" guy and live "happily ever after."

The Kiss

Then I grew up some more. When I was 21, I took the opportunity to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While a missionary, I became fluent in Spanish and was able to continue to use my newfound skills when I moved to Texas in the Fall of 1999. By the time I was 30, I had managed to not only elude marriage, but find myself a degree and a career. I became a bilingual social worker.

As you know, social workers don't make a lot. The average salary of a social worker is about on par with that of a school teacher. But, I was on my own, paying my own way, had my own apartment, etc. I made friends, but many of them got married. At one point I found myself pretty alone. Not only that, but I got fired from my job for a mistake I had made. It was not a pretty time in my life. I got internet service in my apartment so I could look for jobs online without having to go to the library to use the computer there. I spent HOURS every day combing the classifieds. After only a few days of this, I hit a pretty bad low. I knew something had to change, and soon! I decided I needed to try to make new friends. For this reason, and ONLY this reason, I decided to join a singles site. I know, I know, it sounds like I was looking for a relationship. But, I really and truly wasn't. I just wanted to make friends so I wasn't so isolated.

Wedding Day

People always say it happens when you least expect it. Which, I always found to be silly. I mean, when you get to a certain point in your life, you know the next step is to find the right person, settle down and have a family (If that's the life path you choose.) I wanted that, too. When I was a kid, I thought I'd get married at age 19 like my mom. I never intended to be single at 30. But, that is where I was. And, admittedly, from the age of about 26 or so, I kept looking around every corner thinking that surely IT would happen. But, when it didn't, I finally had to accept the fact that I might never get married. I had to learn to be okay with that. And, I did. Through lots of prayer (and long discussions with my mom), I accepted that Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us and even though I didn't understand it, I had to trust Him and His plan for me (which, apparently, did not include marriage.)

Thanksgiving 2008

So that's where I was. Alone, broke, and searching for friends. And then I met Lloyd. There are so many funny things about the way our early courtship went. The first being, I couldn't even see what he looked like from his bio picture. He had some old, out of date picture where he was sitting on a couch about 10 feet away from where the photo was being shot. Digital imaging wasn't very common then, and the 35mm shot was blurry and hard to see. All I could tell was that he had long legs (as they were stretched out in front of him) and dark hair. Other than that, the image was fuzzy. But, I read his bio and he seemed like a genuinely NICE GUY. That's the kind of friends I wanted to make: genuinely nice people. I wasn't looking for partyers or game-players male or female.

My 35th Birthday 2009

Lloyd and I started emailing back and forth and he was the kindest and most thoughtful man I'd ever encountered. I had no idea at the time that I would fall for him. I wasn't expecting it in the least. In fact, at the time, he was dating a few other girls. Even after we'd had a couple of dates he flew out to California to meet up with another lady. But, it didn't bother me. Why? Because I didn't know I was falling in love. I was totally in the "friend zone" and so I was completely okay with that. On top of that, I knew that if I ever DID find someone to fall in love with, I was definitely NOT going to try to convince him to love me. Looking back, when I was younger, I see that I often gave too much, too soon. I was so eager for love that I gave my whole heart away to those who didn't give back as freely. As hard as those times were, I learned from them. I was determined that I would rather be alone and happy, than with someone who didn't love me the way I deserved to be loved.

Our Five Year Anniversary, December 2009

Lloyd loves me completely and unreservedly. Though our marriage isn't perfect (is anyone's?), we are happy. We work hard at loving each other and we are building our dreams together. They are slow in coming to fruition, but we are partners in our efforts, for the most part (except when he forgets to take the trash out.) I love Lloyd with my whole heart and am MOST grateful for the path that led us to each other. I'm grateful for God's plan for me. He knows what is right for me (and WHEN it is right for me), even though I sometimes doubt. As the years go by, I better understand the value of patience and faith, for in retrospect, I see nothing short of miracles in my life.

Family Picture with our dog, Chance (who thinks he's a "people".) 2010

A Home

2011-11-14T21:57:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful for my home. Though we were poor growing up, we were never without a home, thank Goodness. I can't imagine the difficulty of being homeless. Yet, I know that there are countless Americans who are. With the state of our economy and corrupt politicians, I worry that many families are increasingly closer to being homeless.

When I was a kid, I had to share a room with my two sisters. It wasn't that big of a deal. Back then, that's just what you did. Nowadays, people seem to think that every child has to have his own room. Not only did we share a room, but we had bunk beds. I know lots of kids think bunk beds are cool, but I didn't. Being on the bottom bunk meant it was dark when you sat on your bed to write or do homework. Bunk beds also meant constant awakenings when the person in the other bed moves, wiggles, or climbs up and down the ladder. I know it probably sounds silly, but I remember as a girl DREAMING of having my OWN bed. I longed for a ruffley and frilly canopy bed, complete with the Holly Hobbie bedding ensemble.

I wanted my own bed so badly that there were times when I would take boxes, filled with various and sundry things, line them up in a rectangular pattern, then plop my mattress on top of them. Viola! My own non-bunk-bed. Clearly this was not a bright idea, as the boxes got mushed down from the weight. I'd wake up in the night sliding off to the floor, as my mattress had tilted on its uneven foundation.

To have a home is such a blessing that I daily take for granted. Not only that, but I've been blessed with a beautiful home. I never dreamed I'd be so blessed. Really. It was just never really in the realm of my imagination that I would get to live somewhere so nice. I'm thankful to God for His abundance; and I'm thankful for my husband who works so hard to provide such a comfortable home.

Here are some pictures of what the house looked like when we first moved in, in December 2006. It doesn't look as great now, as I am not a good housekeeper at all! But, it's still nice and I'm thankful.

Front Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Family Room

Family room and Back Reading Nook

Front Bath

Bedroom #1

Bedroom #2 (We call it the Mothers' room)

Bedroom #3

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom & Window Seat

Master Bath

Upstairs Media Room

Upstairs Media Room / Game Area

Blessings Through Trial

2011-11-04T22:27:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful for my health. I've been in the hospital 3 times within the last year or so. That's not what I want to have happened at this point in my life. Thankfully, the doctors have been able to help me improve, but it's been a trial on so many levels.

I've learned a lot from having had sickness. It's opened my eyes to what living is. It's helped me develop greater compassion. Having been sick in the last year or so, helped better prepare me for my Dad's passing. I'm thankful that Heavenly Father works all things together for our good (Roman's 8:28). Even when I was experiencing those times of trial, He was helping me to grow.

Today I am well. I am well and I am thankful for my health.

Gratitude

2011-11-03T16:28:00.002-05:00

I read a quote somewhere (probably on Facebook) earlier this year:

"What if you woke up tomorrow with only

the things you thanked God for today?"

That meant something to me. What a profound question. I realized that although I try to say at least a morning prayer, and an evening prayer (and try to remember to give gratitude at mealtimes), my prayers are often too short and too insincere.

We live in a very fast-paced society. My mom (who is now in her mid-sixties) is truly convinced that time is actually moving faster. I can't say that I disagree. With so much amazing technology available today, one might think that it would be easier to accomplish MORE in less time.

Unfortunately, while that may be true, we now have higher expectations of what is to be "done" every day. Not that the stuff to be done is harder (I would've worn dirty clothes for weeks had I to wash them on those old-fashioned washing boards with wringers); it's just that we seem to want to cram a million things into every waking moment (and even the non-waking moments.)

But, busy-ness is not now, nor has it ever been, an excuse for a lack of thoughtful gratitude. While it's easy to get caught up in thinking that by doing so much, our lives will be full and meaningful, it's simply not true. Doing is well and good, but it really doesn't mean much if we don't stop to appreciate the blessings we have.

Heavenly Father has blessed my life with such abundance. I take so much for granted. Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to spend hours in prayer every day (though my soul could probably use it!) thanking God for each little bird's chirp, each pair of shoes, each raindrop on my face. That would just take too long. But, I can CERTAINLY stand to spend MORE time than I currently do truly giving thanks for the countless blessings He graces me with daily: a comfortable home, health, family, friends, food, sight, smell, touch, taste, sound. Where would I be without ears to hear and eyes to see?

I have to try to remember the things that matter today. I WANT to give thanks for them always. What if I DID wake up tomorrow and all I had was the things for which I'd previously been grateful? How I would regret not having given more thanks.

Employment

2011-11-02T22:44:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful for my job. It's been just over six months now that I've been with this company, and every day I count my blessings. Oscar Wilde's words really resonate with me, “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”

I've been unemployed before. I've been fired, laid off, quit. My husband has also gone through unemployment. It's not pretty for the majority of working class America. And, since the housing bust in 2008 (and the subsequent bailout), employment has been extremely hard to come by for many, many Americans across the nation. The Dallas metroplex is one of the places that has been least affected by the "recession". While it hasn't been ideal, it has been SO VERY MUCH better than what many others face elsewhere.

Every day I get up and say a simple prayer of gratitude for a job to go to. For that means I have money to pay my bills, a home to live in, food to eat, medical care, and even fun money. Not ONLY this, but I actually LOVE my job. I've spent the first 10 years of my career in jobs that weren't that great. There was a lot of stress, little pay, and a lack of fulfillment. Not only that, but I've encountered a myriad of unscrupulous business persons and employees. There have been times when it's all I could do to MAKE myself go to work.

But now, after so much hardship, Heavenly Father has blessed me abundantly. I work less than 3 miles from home (which is practically unheard of in the metroplex), I get to have near-total autonomy in my work (I work alone a lot, which I enjoy), I excel at what I do as an office manager and bookkeeper (I like to do everything and be in the details), my work hours are flexible and in addition to Saturday and Sunday, I also have Fridays off. But best of all, I really really LIKE my bosses. They've treated me so well. They value me. They appreciate me. They've shown they really care about me as a person.
For years I believed that I would always be stuck in crummy jobs. I figured that's just the way life is. When I quit my horrible job a year ago April, I was scared and worried. It took many months to find the new job, the RIGHT job. But, I just chose to keep believing that Heavenly Father would work out the best plan for me. I couldn't understand why I wasn't finding the right job, though I had many successful interviews.

Now, I understand. He was saving me for this place, at this time. He had a plan all along. I'm so thankful for my job.

Autumn Joy

2011-11-01T00:01:00.114-05:00

Did I ever mention how much I dearly love Autumn? It's my favorite season. Which, if you think about it, is kind of strange for a person who has struggled with Depression her whole life. But, I just can't help it. No other season SMELLS and FEELS the way Autumn does. PLUS, Autumn is really just a segue way into the Holidays. I've noticed that I'm happiest when I have something to look forward to.

In the past, I used to think the GETTING of or the ARRIVAL of a thing or event was IT. But, now that I'm older (and clearly much wiser), I've realized that it's the ANTICIPATION that I enjoy most. That's part of the reason I'm a "planner". Don't get me wrong, I can spontane as much as, or better than the next gal. But I like to plan things because then I get to savor the anticipation.

As a kid growing up, we didn't have much money. In fact, it's amazing that we had Christmas gifts at all. But, not HAVING never stopped me from DREAMING. What Christian child hasn't spent hours in contemplation over the all-important Christmas Wish List? Just as it was then, I relish the time spent dreaming more than the actual THING itself.

That's one of the main reasons I think I love Autumn so much. When the leaves start to fall, and the wind turns cool, it's a signal that the Holidays (filled with parties, shopping, gifts, family time, and a general increase in human decency) are just around the corner. Who couldn't love that?

I'm also appreciative of Autumn because for Americans, the Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated. As we take time to reflect on the many blessings that have been afforded us as a nation, as families, and individuals, our hearts can't help but expand. It often appears that nowadays many tend toward building up a personal armor to avoid showing any inkling of vulnerability (convinced that being open will result in being taken advantage of, financial ruin, or lack of respect). However, with the onset of Autumn, and the ensuing Holiday Season, people's hearts seem to soften and grow warmer. Friendships are rekindled and family bonds are renewed. There is nothing more important in life than this.

With that being said, I'm thankful for my family. My dad passed away in September. It's not that I was especially close to my dad. I loved him. He was my dad. I understood him, because I am like him. More than anything, I was happy to see him go because I understand the certain misery that comes from being stuck in a sick body. He was sick for a long time. The upcoming winter weather would have been even harder on him. I'm glad he was freed from his mortal prison and no longer has to face the sickness, sadness, pain, and loneliness that often come with being elderly and alone.

With my dad's passing, our family was reunited twice within 2 months: once in September at his passing and again in October, for his simple, yet beautiful memorial at the lake. As a family of highly independent thinkers, in the past, we've often had disagreements. It could be said that we argue simply for the sake of arguing. We all enjoy a good debate. Sometimes, however, those debates have been taken a little too far and feelings have inevitably been hurt.

As my mother and siblings gathered to discuss the business of death (because, with all the decisions to be made, it DOES feel that way sometimes), I was worried that there would be contention -- too many varying opinions. To my wonder, we all genuinely got along. Everyone behaved kindly, respectfully, and even maturely in deciding the WHAT and WHEN and HOW. While there were a few diverging thoughts, it seemed that all were on their best behavior to be accommodating; to get along as best as possible.

I've heard of families being torn apart by death. If anything, I think my family became closer and stronger going through this together. I have new-found respect for my siblings, even my "littlest" brother. At 25, my baby brother amazes me with his strength of character and gentle heart. He understands things in a way that most men never do. He speaks few words, but when he does, they are gems. I regard and respect him, as with many other of my siblings. My mom continues to be a pillar of strength and admiration.

I'm thankful for a strong, opinionated, passionate, caring family. I love when we are together. I get to behold amazing qualities in those around me. Though it's not ALWAYS rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine, I am filled with gratitude for their love, support, and strength of character.

It's Lovely to Have Sisters

2011-04-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

Been so busy and it's been so long. Wanted to check in, though.

A) My depression has gotten WAY better since I finally got in to see a new psychiatrist (a month wait list for new patients). I'm so thankful, as the last 2 years have been really really tough for me. Not that everyone else doesn't have their problems, too. We've all got some. I'm just so grateful for some relief so I can be more like ME again.

B) My older sister, Carla, finally moved here from Oregon! I say, "FINALLY", because I've been working on her for literally years to try to get her to move here. Of my 6 siblings, she was the only one that was fairly inaccessible to me. I think she quite liked it that way, to be honest. (Can't say as how I blamed her for moving back then when she did--crazy people in the family can make wanting to "stay close" less-appealing.) But, now we're all older and I'm glad she's close. I love both my sisters (1 older, Carla, and 1 younger, Casey) so much. Even though I was the "middle child" both in the family and in between sisters, and I was a rotten, mean, bossy child, I've gotten somewhat better. I'm glad my sisters and I are so close. No one can make me laugh the silliest laughs like they do. It's a special wacky kind of humor that only a certain amount of history and genetic resemblance can induce.

However, that being said, I also feel so blessed that I have so many, many wonderful girlfriends in my life. You know that saying that goes something like, "When one door closes, another one will open"? Life really is kind of like that. I had a VERY rough time of it in 5th and 6th grade. The girls in my class were so mean and catty. If you remember being that age, or have female children who've been that age, undoubtedly you'll recall the ridiculosity (cool word I just invented) of those "friendships". For me, as I was really smart, my "girlfriends" would always ask me for the answers to the homework they failed to complete. I used to give it to them because I sooooo wanted to "fit in". But somewhere around age 11 or 12, I not only began to grow boobs, but a sense of self, as well. When I began turning them down for their requests, they HATED me. Not only did they ignore me and make fun of me, one girl even SPAT on me walking home from school one day! Can you believe that?! By the time I moved on to Jr. High School (7th grade), I was determined that I would NEVER let myself be hurt by "friends" like that again.

At first, I was a little wary of making "friends" all over again. I kind of figured all girls were like that. But, as I focused more on being the ME I wanted to be and less on what I thought others wanted me to be, I found some really great people who liked me just as I was. I was funny, charismatic, smart and interesting (I don't know what's happened since....but that's another story. :) From that point forward, I became increasingly skilled at making friends. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't just like I decided it would be so and viola, it was. No, no, no. As with anything worthwhile, it has taken YEARS and YEARS of practice. Occassionally I still get "burned" by not so good people, but it hurts a lot less because I know I will always find other/better friends. They're the ones who are missing out!

So back to the point at hand, I am so grateful for wonderful genetic sisters, as well as my "sisters" that are my close friends. Some I've had for decades, while others have been with me for just a few short months. All are treasured in my heart (as cheesy as that sounds). They love me for me and that is one of the best feelings in the world, wouldn't you agree? As the last 2 years have been a daily depression battle, I've often said prayers of gratitude to a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to bless with me with amazing, talented, caring friends who help get me through the rough patches. Just knowing there was someone who I could go to lunch with, or share a craft with, or even exchange emails (detailing the many gorgeous items we've found on the internet that we would "buy" for each other), always gave me hope and something to look forward to.

The past few weeks have been especially full of love and friendship. I hope the rest of the year continues to be as bright and warm as this Spring is proving to be.

Though this is probably the WRONG thing to do (inevitably I'll forget someone and hurt her feelings), I'd still like to give a shout out to some of my favorite girlfriends. We may not talk often, or we may see each other every day. No matter what, though, these are those that mean a lot to me at this point in my life (just as others have played important roles at different periods of my life). I thank you all for your loving kindness, constancy and loyalty in our relationships:

Carla--my older sister
Casey--my younger sister
Mom--my really older sister :)
Dee Dee--my BFF for life--who makes me laugh just as hard as my sisters.
Rebecca--my HS BF who builds me up better than anyone.
Alisa--who's opened up my world to the past and my future to creativity.
Nina--who understands my heart better than most because she KNOWS.
Julie--for sending that first email and being so open and honest.
Lori--my kindred spirit in all things crafty, decor, food, etc.
Jenn O.--we clicked from day one and I so love our discussions.
Kirsten--the model of perfect mothering and food storage reliance!

I'm sure I've missed a few, and if you are someone I missed--please forgive me. I'm a crazy old bat with a poor memory!

Love to all!

p.s. Today my sister, Carla, and I did a "photo-shoot". How fun is that? Sisters are the few who will actually tell you when you look fat in a picture and to re-pose. Her pictures turned out great, I think.

Coin Wrapper Tag Swap

2011-03-09T01:15:00.001-06:00

I haven't had anything particular to blog about lately. I am excited for spring, though. Spring always makes me happier. Too bad it's too short-lived here in TX before we go right into the 90s! Oh well, I'd rather be hot than cold. I'm usually cold in the summertime, though, because by dear sweet husband thinks it's appropriate to keep the A/C turned down to 66. Ridiculous, I KNOW! But, I can't put layers on...

Not having much interesting going on right now, I thought it'd be nice if I shared one of the past swaps I participated in with two of my closest friends. We did a "coin wrapper" tag swap. We each used Quarter coin wrappers as the base of our tag. We decided on a theme of favorite quotes. We each did 3, and then Alisa kindly put them together in a sort of mini-book format. She even added lettered circle tags at the bottom to spell out "Wise Words". Isn't she clever?!

This is the cool cover tag she made. I'm totally diggin' the old rusty key!

"You Reap What You Sow"

This one is SO cool because you unwrap it! How neat-o is that for a coin "wrapper"?

One of us has a big ol' "girl crush" on Rebecca Sower. I'll not mention any names....yet.

This treasure has a really cool coating of beeswax on top of the tattered muslin and the hand-colored angel. I also love the calming wisdom in these words. That's straight from the Source.

"A Large Wife and a Large Farm Never Did a Man Any Harm."

Those are tea-stained cupcake liners there. You can't see it very well here,

but they also have tiny little pink flowers on them.

"Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch."

Now, can you guess who created which ones?

2011 Desktop Calendars

2011-02-19T01:32:00.003-06:00

As promised, here are the links to your 2011 Desktop Calendar Backgrounds. At the end of this post are some help/instructions for setting each picture as your background (in case anyone needs a hint).

February 2011
Resolution Size 1280x1024
Resolution Size 1152x864
Resolution Size 1024x768

March 2011
Resolution Size 1280x1024

Resolution Size 1152x864

Resolution Size 1024x768

April 2011

Resolution Size 1280x1024

Resolution Size 1152x864

Resolution Size 1024x768

May 2011

Resolution Size 1280x1024

Resolution Size 1152x864

Resolution Size 1024x768

So far, May is my favorite. I'll get the rest of the 2011 months to you soon!

INSTRUCTIONS / HINTS for SETTING BACKGROUND IMAGE:

These are the first five months of 2011 Desktop Calendars I made. Now, they're not perfect or anything, but I personally, prefer to have a desktop background that has a calendar on it. Makes my life sooooo much easier! So I put these together for you. (Sorry February is already halfway over!)

THE FOLLOWING IS ABOUT HOW TO CHECK/CHANGE YOUR SCREEN RESOLUTION. IF YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO THIS, SKIP TO THE IMAGE LINKS BELOW.

If you don't know how to save an item as your desktop background, just select an image and right click on it. It should give you the option to save as wallpaper/background. Also, you may need to be aware of your screen resolution. I know, I know, "Cheryl, don't give me a bunch of that techy talk. I don't got time for that! You're lucky that I'm even on here reading your blog entry." But, for those who might not know, but would like to, you can check your screen resolution by doing the following:

Click the START button at the bottom left of your screen
Select CONTROL PANEL
Select DISPLAY
Click on the SETTINGS tab
You will then see a little left to right slider bar in the middle. Notice where your pointer is on that bar. Is it far to the right, the middle, far to the left? Remember.
Try sliding the bar back and forth left and right a little bit slowly. You may notice your screen change. If you slide it all the way to the right. You will select 1280x1024 (pixels) resolution. That's what I prefer to use because it means I can see the most stuff possible at a time on my computer screen. It also makes things more crisp for viewing, though smaller (which you can also change the size of your screen text if you desire, but that is another topic--email me if you need help). If you slide your bar to the left, there are 3 other "notches" of resolution you can choose: 1152x864, 1024x768, and 800x600. Most people use the "standard" 1024x768 resolution. But, you can decide whichever one you prefer. If you increase your resolution, you'll see a whole new world on some of your web pages. For example, most people have a "background" pattern on their blog. If you go to someone's blog, you may see very little of this "background" on the left and right sides of your screen. However, if you increase your screen resolution to 1280x1024 you will likely see a LOT more of this background pattern. Play around with the resolution, visit other webpages and see what you prefer. Or, keep it right where you have it if you wish.
Choose your resolution size and click APPLY
After your screen is altered, click OK
Close everything up

Now you are ready to go grab one of my desktop background images and save it as your background/wallpaper. I made the images in 3 resolution sizes (1280x1024, 1152x864, and 1024x768) so it would work for you with whichever screen resolution you've chosen. (Except for the lowest resolution because no one really uses that one.) Be sure to select the image with the same resolution you selected in the DISPLAY SETTINGS. If you don't, it will still work, but it won't fit your screen just right.

After you’ve determined which picture you are going to download as your background, click the link and go to the image. When you see the image at Image Shack.com, right click it. Select “Save Image As”. Save the image somewhere on your computer (desktop?) where you will know where to go back to get it. If you’re forgetful (like me), you may even want to write down which folder you filed it in!
Once you have saved the image to your computer, go back to where you saved it. Open it. Right click on the image. Select “Set as Background”. Viola! There you have it!

Valentine's Day Desktop Calendars For You!

2011-02-14T16:32:00.004-06:00

The last couple of weeks have not been my favorite 2 weeks of my life. I can think of many other 2 week spans that were way more fun than the last two. My vacation to Disneyworld; High School Graduation; Wedding and Honeymoon. Got the stupid cold that's been goin' around. It's just an annoying cough that makes my abdomen workout--and she doesn't want to.

But, today is Valentine's Day! Yippee. I love any sort of Holiday there is to celebrate and share fun and/or love. I especially love holidays that include receiving gifts (what woman doesn't?) I am excited to go on a date with my wonderful husband. He's getting better every year at Valentine's Day, My Birthday, and Anniversary. I've pretty much kept telling him things he can do and warn him not to make past mistakes because the rule in our house is "If Momma Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy." He tells this to the dogs all the time because if I'm mad at him, he feels he can pass the blame on down the line. So, in order to help him not make past mistakes, like I said, I keep giving him reminders and hints. I also keep an updated wishlist on Amazon.com so there is no "I didn't know what to get you" excuses.

And just as an aside (my personal opinion), I feel that those people who say stuff like, "I think Valentine's Day is a manufactured holiday just so the companies can sell a bunch of crap at an inflated price so women won't get mad", are a bunch miserable souls. They say, "I don't need a manufactured holiday to give my baby flowers or candy and tell her I love her. I can do that any day of the year." However, it has seemed to me in the past that those who proffer such wisdom, are rarely the ones who abide by it. They're all talk and no action. Wouldn't you agree?

And another random thought, I DO however feel for the single or lonely on Valentine's Day who WISH they had a Valentine of their own to shower affection and gifts upon. Their lack of enjoyment of Valentine's Day is more acceptable than the previous type of pessimists as noted above. You're either Stingy-Hearted (yes, that is a real word--a cheryl word anyway) or your not. The question is not whether you have a Valentine to love, but rather that IF you had a Valentine, how would you love? I was single on pretty much every Valentines Day of my life up until I met Lloyd (had a couple of good ones with my ex-fiance, although for some strange reason he thought it appropriate to get me "Happy Secretaries Day" orange balloons to go with the roses he brought. It still makes me laugh when I remember. I longed for a Valentine, but just didn't have one. I did however, send Valentines to other people (friends and family) that I love. I don't care if it's a day marked on the calendar that reminds you to let the ones you love know how much you care for them. Is it ever a bad day to do that?

Oh, but I've strayed. How very unlike me. (yes, sarcasm implied). Back to the Amazon Wishlist. Did you know that you can add things to your Amazon Wishlist that aren't necessarily sold by Amazon? Yeah, it's great. I've been doing it for a couple of years now. It's called a Universal Wishlist and you can get it by clicking here. You have to have already set up a regular Amazon Wishlist (it's free), but once you have, you can add the Universal Wishlist Button to your browser menu. Next time you're enjoying your shopping on Etsy.com, you can save an item to your Amazon Wishlist by clicking on the Universal Wishlist Button. Viola! It adds it to your wishlist account. I love modern technology!

So I'm so excited because my honey is coming home soon and he's already planned (made reservations even) for a date! Wow! He is getting so good at this. I wasn't even supposed to be writing such a long blog post because I need to get my "outside face" on. But, in all my zest for Valentine's Day, I thought of giving you, my reader, something as a token of my appreciation for following me and commenting to me, and sharing with me.

Okay, so without further adieu, I love you blogland peeps, family, friends. I appreciate your support. Happy Valentine's Day! (See next separate post for my small gift to you.)

I Live and Love With My Whole Heart -- And It's Okay!

2011-02-07T00:33:00.000-06:00

I had a great conversation with my husband, Lloyd, this evening. Lloyd is one of the most loving and generous men I've ever known. I'm so thankful to be married to him and love him deeply. I feel like he's my greatest blessing from a Heavenly Father who loves me. That being said, it doesn't mean that we never struggle. Face it, if you're married to a man, there WILL be struggles at times. No sexism intended. Well, okay, maybe just a little... Men and women, as we all know, are just "wired" differently. In general, men are not the "communicators" that women seem inherently born to be.

Sometimes I get frustrated with Lloyd because he keeps a lot inside. A third of that is that he's an introvert by nature. Another 33% of it is that he is an only child and the majority of his "conversations" in life are between the characters in the books he reads. The remaining half is that he's just a man--a man who believes it is his sacred duty to "protect" his wife from all hardship and pain. So, inevitably, he doesn't communicate to me the way I would like him to and that results in frustration and my feelings getting hurt at times. Now, if you know me at all, you know I'm a sensitive soul. It isn't necessarily the hardest thing in the world to wound me emotionally. I own that. (Don't, however, label me as "moody" because I view that as a negative word tactless people throw out to absolve themselves of wrongdoing rather than seeking forgiveness for their lack of sensitivity.) However, the good thing about me is that I am a communicator. If my feelings are injured, and I care enough about the other person to even bother, I will tell him what I'm feeling and we can talk things out. Another good thing about me is that I'm very empathetic and I don't hold grudges very well. Once I start talking with said person, I usually come to understand why he said X thing and my empathy kicks in until I'm no longer hurt. I now UNDERSTAND and that's usually all it takes (although, admittedly, a sincere apology always helps speed the enlightenment and healing.)

Over the last couple of days Lloyd and I have had a few "misunderstandings". A large part of it is probably due to my having cabin fever (couped up inside due to icy roads and poor weather conditions). Another part is likely a result of the pressure of his job right now. Tonight came the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" , but thankfully we were able to take some time to sit down and talk things out.

I'm so blessed to have a husband who cares about communication. Lloyd was married before. He explains that he and his former wife had very poor communication and that was part of their marital problems. He vowed that if he ever fell in love again, before deciding to remarry, he would be sure that the object of his affection would be a good communicator. He knew he wasn't inherently the best at communicating, but recognized the importance of it in relationships, especially marriage. During our whirlwind courtship (we met and were married within the course of 8 months--and would've married sooner had it been possible), situations arose that were challenging. He said he knew he loved me the first time one such situation arose and we worked through it together honestly and openly. We're on our 7th year of marriage now and we still try to always maintain that standard in resolving conflicts or other challenges. We're not perfect, but we try.

I intermittently follow a psychologist online, Dr. Brene Brown, PhD. I have a couple of her books and the things she talks about really make sense to me. The quote of the week on her blog is by C.S. Lewis and couldn't be more applicable to what I am feeling this weekend in my relationship with my husband. It is equally valuable for me to remember in all of life's relationships.

I grew up in a family where I felt that being openly loving, vulnerable, and honest were wrong. When I was being myself, inevitably, it caused problems. Ergo, throughout the course of my adult life, I've tried unsuccessfully over and over to close my heart so it wouldn't get hurt. But, because of who I was born to be, I've yet to be fully able to accomplish the task.

Morgan Weistling - The Promise

Now, I'm trying to learn that for me, success is about being vulnerable--about loving fully and freely, in spite of the pain that inevitably accompanies such love. It hurts so much at times and I cry bigger crocodile tears than anyone I know. But, I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that this is a good thing. It's good to be who I am. Being "sensitive" is ok. It's better than ok. Being sensitive and vulnerable, in my mind anyway, means that I'm attempting to be more Christlike. We know from The Bible that Christ was perfect in his love for others (John 15:3). We also know from the book of Isaiah, that he has felt our pain and borne our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). If we are to emulate Christ and live his example, then shouldn't we, too, be willing to open our hearts, even if it means that at times we will experience pain by so doing? I think it does.

Hand in Hand - Greg Olsen

When feelings are hurt or I feel alone or unloved, I'm going to try to remember that this is okay. It's part of being a loving and vulnerable being--even part of trying to follow the Savior's example. I shouldn't fear the pain that inexorably will at times accompany being a loving and vulnerable person. Perfect love casteth out fear (1 John 4:18). If I continue to try to live openly with my whole heart , then my fear of being hurt should diminish. Sadness and sorrow should turn to joy. Who wants their heart in a casket anyway?

I believe

2011-01-25T13:38:00.000-06:00

Came across this song by ERA called "I Believe". It is one of the most moving pieces I've come across in a long time --and music moves me often. I had to share. Close your eyes and just listen and feel. This is the kind of beautiful that gives meaning to life.

Good Friends

2010-11-22T11:36:00.002-06:00

Tonight I had a few girlfriends over to play games. It was just a small group of us, but I had the most wonderful time. You know how good it feels when you are around honest, open, and good people? It makes you just almost giddy inside to connect with others who "get" you. I'm soooooo thankful for the many friends Heavenly Father has blessed me with in my life, and hope to always continue cultivating those and new friendships.

Similarly, last weekend a group of 8 of us went on a retreat to Tyler Texas' Memory Lane Inn. The Inn is an old early 1900 house that has been completely renovated inside. It was GORGEOUS and comfortable. We had such a wonderful time together. We may not have gotten as much crafting done as we would have liked, but it's all about the camaraderie, right? My recently published friend (can you tell how proud of her I am?), Alisa Noble was my suite mate (she's so easy to stay over with--no snoring, not an overly light sleeper.) Also part of our awesome group were Marie Jenkins (an amazing talented lady who knows a lot about living); Cami Dilsaver (a strong, independent woman with a heart the size of Texas...and then some); Liesl Milford (a Louisiana-bred hoot and a holler all rolled up into one funny gal) Dana Suza (truly and ARTIST--she sees life through an amazing pair of eyes), and Shannon Martinson (Pink Fish Designs jewelry crafter). Most of these gals are friends I met just from being involved in various art groups and projects in the area. I am always in awe of the creative talent that surrounds me. I even get envious at times--but then I have to remember we all have different talents. I, for example, have excellent penmanship.

But the best part of the retreat wasn't just being there for 3 days devoted wholly to creating, although that in itself is pretty noteworthy. The amazing stories I heard from these women's lives filled me with such gratitude and admiration. As I listened to one lady recount the horror of her son being burned by a car explosion in a mechanic shop (and the months and months of pain and hardship they went through afterward), I felt such a love for this woman. The things she'd gone through had been really really hard, but she was so gracious and strong in sharing. I admire the strength she's gained from going through this, and other difficult life challenges. I also felt my heart fill with compassion as I listened to another woman recount a part of her life when her children were very young. Her husband, unfortunately, chose to take his own life, leaving behind a family with no form of support. It wasn't enough that she had to fight through the grief, sorrow, and even anger of the situation. On top of that, she was then faced with the realization that she was the SOLE provider for these young babes. I listened to her stories of the multiple jobs she took on, just to provide food and shelter for the children--going down the way, pulling her kids in a wagon, trying to sell dried flowers. At one point, even her own brother-in-law and his wife tried to come and "help" her by offering to take her newborn baby off her hands. Can you imagine? She clung tightly to those little ones and never slept more than a few hours a night, making sure she did everything in her power to keep them safe and well. When I see a woman overcome such hardship and not only survive, but come out victorious, I am filled with the deepest feelings of respect and kinship for her. It makes me feel better as a woman, to know there are others out there who have difficult life problems, but are overcoming them beautifully. It's as if they're saying, "We're all in this together, Honey."

To See My Creation in a Larger Format, Please Click Here

As I'm going along in my life trying to overcome problems new and old, it's such a boost to my spirit to be with other women who are facing their own challenges--but are succeeding. I'm thankful to those who open their hearts up wide enough for me to have a peek inside and share with them. That is such a privilege.

Thankfully Sick

2010-10-13T23:24:00.000-05:00

It's October, which means the beginnings of campaign commercials and radio spots. Every candidate wants us to vote for him because he's going to make a difference... And so it goes until November 2nd, when the lots are cast and the winners are chosen.

In the United States of America, we're free to choose our elected government. We have the opportunity to openly express our opinions regarding "the issues". This is a wonderful luxury that most people in the world will never experience. We all have our beliefs, what choices we think are important when it comes to voting. I have mine, too.

But today, I don't want to talk about my political viewpoints. I just want to stop and take a moment to express my gratitude for a wonderful Heavenly Father who has given me the blessing of living in this great country. America is not perfect; she is an ever-changing work in progress. But, she is still the most beautiful nation in all the world. Hoards of people have risked, and continue to risk, their very lives in attempting to set foot upon her soil. Why? Because, even with all our problems, the United States still offers every man, woman, and child OPPORTUNITY. The Great American Dream. Part of this dream is health care.

Health care is a huge topic on the forefront of our minds, as our current President and other leaders are working to drastically change the health care system in the U.S. Whether or not I agree with what is being done is not the issue for me today. Today, I am just thankful that I got the health care that I needed.

I was exhibiting symptoms of having quite a serious infection (which I have experienced in the past). The same day I decided to see a doctor, I was able to check myself in online (to avoid waiting at the doctor's office), drive less than 2 miles to the clinic, be examined and treated all within the course of 2 hours. Wow. Is that not amazing?

Sometimes I catch myself grumbling about some of the laws and policy changes. I talk about how our government needs to do this or change that. But, as I was driving home from work today, no doubt prompted by one of those aforementioned radio spots, I couldn't help but feel gratitude for what I have been given. I can't begin to understand the pain and poverty that so many other of God's beautiful children experience in the world. Though by no means rich, I can't remember a single time in my life when some form of healthcare wasn't available to me when I needed it. Even today, the homeless and penniless in the U.S. can walk into any emergency room and be served. That is AMAZING. I seem to take so much for granted. Having lived in a "bubble" most of my life (I've not traveled much outside the contiguous United States), I have no real concept of what pain and suffering others have experienced. I couldn't possibly understand how blessed I have been, unless I were to have lived and died as they have lived and died.

I am thankful, though. I am so thankful. My antibiotics, though somewhat nauseating, will certainly take away my maladies, leaving me healthy and happy in a matter of just a few short days. To those living in 3rd world countries, where even clean drinking water is scarce, to experience this would be nothing short of miraculous.

I don't know why I have been blessed to live in this nation, while so many others have not. Certainly, I am no more loved than any of God's children. Neither do I understand why I've been given such bounty, while my brothers and sisters throughout the world are trying to just SURVIVE. I don't think I'll ever understand it. The very least I can do, however, is take a small moment to express my humble gratitude; to remember what it really means to live in the United States of America.

Home Sweet Home

2010-09-08T01:48:00.001-05:00

Well, for the long Labor Day holiday weekend, Lloyd and I didn't do anything "special". After a busy week of applications and interviews, I was definitely ready to just kick back and be HOME. I guess it's a good thing that HOME is the place I'd most like to be the majority of the time. We create our homes to be just such havens, do we not?

Here's a beautiful home I always loved in my hometown of Springfield, Missouri:

The Fellows Home

The thing I love most about my HOME is that my husband is here with me. I know, it's cheesy, but it's true. We just like to be around each other, even if we don't speak for hours at a time. I can be in my craft room or on my computer, and he can be playing video games or on his computer, and that's fine. But we just like to have the other's presence nearby.

The other thing I especially like about my HOME is that it has all my favorite things to DO so I never get bored. I love having a computer at hand for anything I can conceive of doing: surfing, shopping, designing, emailing, chatting, etc. When we travel away (I don't have a laptop yet), I miss my computer more than anything. What's your favorite part about being HOME? What makes your home special to you?

Catching Up on Creativity

2010-09-07T18:21:00.005-05:00

Lately I've been in a "finish it" mood. I've got dozens (no exaggeration) of crafty projects either unfinished or still in a "to do" pile. In an effort to organize, I've been trying to finish these projects up little by little. Besides, I paid good money for the classes to learn how to create the project. It's like money wasted if I don't actually CREATE the project. So, today I am showing you a few of the projects I finished this weekend.

LE BELLE BOUTIQUE

This was the only class I took at Paper Cowgirl this year. Cindy Gilstrap is an oh-so-talented lady who lives just down the road in McKinney TX. Incidentally, she will be teaching this class again in October at one of our favorite vintage-inspired boutiques, Smitten, on the downtown McKinney square.

The skirt of the dress was created from strips cut from a vintage dress pattern. I inked the edges with chestnut roan colored ink before gluing them to the styrofoam half dressform adhered to the canvas. I believe Cindy mentioned that Cerri of Little Pink Studio sells these at her shop.

On the bodice, I used old primary school lined paper Cindy brought with her. I liked the pinstripe effect they brought to the dress. This spoke vintage French fashion to me. Additionally, I decided to create a neck ruffle and pearl "buttons" to complete the blouse. I really like how those little details added something special to the outfit.

I surely liked the finished product. Thanks, Cindy! Now, if I could ever get my dining room makeover complete, I'd have somewhere to hang this cutie.

PRIMITIVES

My other big project I completed this weekend was my "Prim" doll. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be able to attend an AMAZING 3-day workshop at "The Church" in Dallas. Debbie and Shea are the most talented and gracious ladies around. If you haven't heard of them, they're this mother-daughter duo from California, who we were lucky enough to receive a few years ago in our Texas Heartland. Shea's husband is in real estate and together, they had the vision to restore an old broken down Methodist church (we're talking, windows shot out, animals living inside, rusty plumbing) into an unforgettable studio and home. Aside from being astounded by the beauty and grace of their home, I enjoyed great friends, great food, and great classes during the retreat. Colleen Moody taught us how to make a doll, like the "Prims" she is known for. It was actually a pretty arduous task and took more time than most "class projects" do. But, I'm not complaining. I feel like I really LEARNED something completely new for the first time. Though I didn't complete my doll at the retreat, I finally got her finished up this weekend! I'm thrilled that I even managed to get the wings sewn on properly.

Here is the overall finished product.

This is really my favorite part: the underdress stuff. I used a sleeve from a dress I'd had, to create her bodice and hanging down slip under her skirt. Under her slip are a pair of bloomers I fashioned from another odd piece of clothing I had. It had chenille dots and delicate tat work that made for lovely bloomer legs. My mom would be so proud of my bird wearing a slip, as she thinks it's immodest the way nowadays most women (including myself) fail to wear slips under their dresses.

Here you can see the back of my bird's dress. What initially attracted me to the sleeve I used as the bodice (which just happened to fit around her perfectly) were the little pearl buttons. They were the perfect thing! I added some velvet trim to the top of the bodice (which was really just cheap Wal-mart ribbon I had soaked in a potion of red food color and brown tea to get that perfect peachy color.) I also had a piece of CZ chain I'd received from the generous Shea to add a little BLING BLING. Jewelry always completes a look, in my opinion.

And the "crowing" achievement: her crown. The base is Dresden trim. I added vintage accordian folded sheet music, a vintage pin, a few "diamonds" and my favorite color of Stickles--Platinum. My crown is actually quite basic compared to some of the crowns the other ladies created for their birds!

Any ideas for names? She needs a name. I can't just keep calling her "bird".

So, that's it for now, but I've got other projects to finish and blog about. I'll keep you posted!

I Quit!

2010-08-31T22:43:00.000-05:00

The thing is, I'm not a quitter. I'm a fighter. I have dogged determination and tenacity. I like to believe that with enough perseverance and hard work, eventually even the worst situation can be become positive.

However, I'm old enough and mature enough in my life now to understand that some things just don't change, no matter what you do to affect them. That is because every person in this world has the gift of agency. I am a huge advocate for agency, I would never want anyone to suffer life without it. Life without agency is hopelessness.

So, with that being said, I quit. I quit my job yesterday. I just walked out. No goodbyes, no see ya laters, no hasta luegos. I packed up my stuff, laid my keys on the desk and just simply walked away. And you know what? It feels good. Really good.

Sure, I'm a bit scared about what will come. I don't have a job lined up yet, though I've been looking. I expect there will be financial struggle for a time. I will probably have to sacrifice a lot of things for a while. All that being considered, I'm still happy I left.

*****Above was what happened. Below are my thoughts about it.

You choose how much you care to read.*****

My boss for the last 4 months has been a nightmare. Although I find him to be charismatic and hardworking, his social skills and leadership abilities are very limited. He can be the funniest, nicest guy you ever knew one day, and then the next he would go on tirades and belittle everyone around him. I have nothing against bipolar people. It's not their fault. I just wish he'd get some help for it, so he doesn't continue to make all those around him miserable in the process.

Yesterday he said something to me that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. It wasn't the worst thing he'd ever said to me, or the worst experience I'd ever had there. But it was the last. All of a sudden, I just knew I was DONE. I could no longer remain on this emotional roller coaster ride with him. He was sucking the happiness and creativity out of me. Every day at work I'd walk on eggshells waiting to see what was next...because there was always a "next".

As I was driving home, with a few tears running down my cheeks, I realized that I'd made the right decision. I don't wish to say my situation was as bad as domestic abuse situations, wherein a woman (and sometimes children) is regularly abused (verbally, emotionally, and physically). The pain these women suffer is far greater than what I have experienced, and I applaud those who are able to get away. But, in a way, I felt like that's what I was doing--escaping an abusive situation. I wasn't dealing with a rational and emotionally sound person. When he was angry or upset, he would take it out on those around him, as he didn't have the skills to deal with his feelings appropriately. I realized that I am not that person. I won't be that person who continues to stay in such a situation simply because she is scared. I am scared. I don't know what will happen. But I do know that I would rather sacrifice a lot of things and struggle for as long as I have to, than continue to be treated so poorly. I deserve that. Everyone deserves that dignity and respect. It's just sometimes, you have to stand up and fight for it. Most of the time, it's not about fighting another person, but fighting your own fears, weaknesses and insecurities. It's about making yourself believe that you are worth it. That your happiness and wellbeing are paramount. That's a hard thing to do, especially for women, as their very nature is that of giving, serving, and sacrifice. So often women put themselves last, as they give their all to care for their families. The notion of doing something for herself can be almost beyond comprehension for the woman who have given every bit of who she is to her children and family.

My mom stayed with my dad, through abuse and infidelity, for 35 years until she finally gained the strength to leave him. From my preteen years well into my thirties, I couldn't understand why she put up with it. I judged her so harshly for staying with someone who could treat those around him, including his children, with such disregard.

As I've matured, I've come to understand more things about the intricacies of the pull of the relationship vs. the personal power within. Whether it be a relationship with food, drugs, alcohol, an abusive mate, or even just feeling stuck in our lives, I think most everyone struggles to overcome the binding ties that keep us in that relationship. We doubt our own personal power to break free of what we know, no matter how miserable we may be, because we fear the unknown.

Yesterday, I understood even a little bit better than I ever have before. I know how scary it was for me to quit (as, like I said, I have never been a quitter), not knowing when or from whence the next job was coming. I can only begin to imagine the gripping fear that a mother with small children must face when she thinks of leaving her abusive situation. Not only can she be paralyzed by fear about her own future, she knows she must also be responsible for her children's well-being. That's a HUGE risk to take. So sometimes, as miserable as it may be, she may continue to sacrifice her own happiness and well-being, because she can't risk not being able to provide the essentials for her children. I don't like it, but I understand it a little more clearly than I ever have before.

With this new insight, and the opportunity to practice faith instead of fear, I am thankful for this challenge in my life. It has, and will, make me a stronger person. I will be more confident, more compassionate, and more faithful.

Excitement and Resolve

2010-07-28T00:38:00.000-05:00

Short and Sweet:

All I can say is how excited I am about my retreat this weekend at "The Church". Incidentally, several friends are going and I can't wait to meet up with them and CREATE! My job has been stressful for the last couple of months, so I haven't been writing much. Mostly it's my crazy boss' fault for making my life difficult. Two words: BI POLAR. (Him, not me!)

Anyway, here's where I'm going: The Gilded Nest. Here's a couple of things we'll be creating (pictures courtesy of The Gilded Nest.)

HOPE Bracelet--which I definitely need right now!

Prims by Colleen Moody

So excited. When things are going rough, three things make me feel better:

A) Being wrapped in my husband's arms.

B) Prayer and Singing.

C) Creating Something Wonderful.

So thankful to have a life where I can enjoy all three. I should be better about counting my blessings, such as these. Resolved.

To those who have continued to "follow" me (even though I haven't posted since April), THANK YOU! Thank you for checking in on me every so often. And thank you for your kind comments. I know I've been a slacker at replying to everyone, but please forgive me. I DO SO appreciate your words. I'll be better at that in the future. Again, Resolved.

Death & Taxes

2010-04-14T01:48:00.002-05:00

Finished! Thank you to the geniuses at Intuit for creating Turbo Tax Deluxe! (Did I mention my husband has worked for Intuit? :) This is me tonight (1:33am) doing the happy jig:

May Day Petite Basket Swap

2010-04-12T23:49:00.003-05:00

Recently I’ve enjoyed participating in a few different online swaps. The latest of these (May Day Petite Basket Swap) is being hosted by the wonderful, Jenny Fowler, of Fated Follies. The idea was to get a “petite” basket and fill it with little vintage goodies for your assigned swap partner. You may see an obvious pattern in the swaps I’ve been electing to participate in (small, small, small).

Over the last month or so, I’ve enjoyed collecting items for my swap partner, Stephanie Lewin of TartDeco, as I rummage through estate sale findings and antique store booths. You’re not always exactly sure what your partner will enjoy most, so sometimes you resort to sending items that you yourself enjoy! That was the case with me and the basket I sent this time. I sent some of my faves for creating: Vintage trims, linens, laces, ephemera, bookprint, sheet music, flowers, buttons, etc. I hope Stephanie can make use of them!

I wanted to make sure the small items didn’t all fall out in transport, so I used a basket plastic for the first time. I have to say that using my heat gun to melt the plastic around the basket was very enjoyable to my inner-pyro. Here it is all sealed up and ready to go!

And here are a couple of pictures of the petite basket I already received from that on-the-ball girl! I so appreciate her thoughtfulness in putting together this gift.

Embroidery

2010-04-12T22:54:00.004-05:00

So one of my most favoritest friends gifted me with the sweetest little “Stitch Along Kit” from Amy Powers for my birthday back in January. At the time I was happy to receive it just because it was so dang tiny, which in my book always equals ADORABLE. Have I mentioned my love for all things miniature? Just seeing this little kit all contained in a small round tin, complete with mini spool of black thread, mini book with instructions, and even it’s own little pair of scissors was a total delight for me. Admittedly, though, it wasn’t until last month that I actually dug it up from “THE PILE” in the craft room. You know “THE PILE”. We all have one, right? Mine has been growing since probably about August of last year. Last Saturday I finally went in my craft room and “tidied up” a bit and finished clearing away “THE PILE” altogether. Yippee! What a refreshing feeling.

But, I digress. (Which if you know me is so atypical for me—yeah right.) Anyway, so sometime last month, after seeing everyone’s posts about their 39 Squares, I was feeling a bit left out. Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn't feel left out enough to actually attempt the 39 squares project, but I figured I could be a part by working on the mini-sampler I’d received.

As it turns out, I really enjoy embroidery! I’ve always admired the delicate work of others’ nimble fingers as found on vintage hankies, doilies, tablecloths, etc., but I never thought I would actually catch the “embroidery bug” as I have. Thanks, Alisa! It was with great delight that as I sat watching all my manufactured drama shows (I LOVE me some “REALITY” tv!), I was able to simultaneously crank out fun little stitch after stitch. I was thrilled with the ease of following Amy’s example and found great satisfaction in my completed formations. I LOVED learning how to do a French Knot and how this enabled me to make the cutest little fluffy sheep ever!

After finishing my mini sampler, I decided to take on something slightly larger. While I’m still a complete novice and know fewer than a handful of stitches, I ventured out to create images that I find beautiful. I found a picture online somewhere of this vintage shoe and decided I could “eyeball” it. (That’s SO typical Cheryl. I don’t know why, but I have this insane belief that if I see something, I will be able to recreate it without a pattern. This overconfidence is ridiculous and I have absolutely no idea why I have it. All I know is I repeatedly fall prey to this delusion! Weird, I know.) So, I got out my thread library and went to work.
It’s surprising how much time actually goes into creating something so small. One who has never stitched, would not understand how something so seemingly trivial has taken a large investment of time and concentration. I didn’t understand this, myself, until I spent countless hours on this shoe (and it’s far from perfect!)

Knowing what I’ve invested in each piece, however, brings me greater satisfaction than I would have previously imagined. Do other stitchers feel this way, too?

Friendship

2010-04-01T17:08:00.004-05:00

Today I just wanted to state how very thankful I am for good friends. Really good friends. Friends who love me for ME. I don’t have to pretend I’m something more than what I am. They accept me with all my faults and love the good they see in me. It’s hard to find friends like that when you’re an adult. I’m so thankful Heavenly Father has blessed me with great and lasting friends. Their love and kindness give me strength when I am weak and make my heart feel lighter when it is weighed down with sorrow and discouragement. Thank you to my friends for your love. You know who you are. At least, I hope I’ve let you know how much I love and appreciate you so you DO know who you are.

Thinking of how thankful I am for friendship, I altered a couple of Vintage cards with two quotes that I like. (Click on image to see it larger / more clearly.) Enjoy.

And a fun one:

Alice in Wonderland Tag Swap

2010-03-22T10:02:00.002-05:00

They arrived! My Alice in Wonderland tags came in the mail and I am so excited. As Tim Burton’s movie Alice in Wonderland came out recently, there is much to-do regarding the Alice theme. Karla Nathan, of Karla’s Cottage hosted a Tag Book swap, wherein we sent in 6 tags and received a tagbook back with 6 tags from different artists, as well as a cute little cover. I was delighted to have participated (with so many others) in such a fun activity.
As one who is not always accustomed to being a “normal” member of society, my tags were atypical of what one might expect for the Alice in Wonderland theme:

Here is the adorable cover (and cutest tiny little “drink me” potion ever—you KNOW how I love miniature things) created by Karla:

This one was created by Ruth Graham:

This is by the lovely Michele Askeroth:

Here’s one from Kathy Lowry:

And this adorable one is from Rebekaha:

Here’s the tag from Victoria Grobels:

And finally, one from our wonderful hostess, Karla Nathan:

Oh, but the goodness doesn’t stop there! As a special bonus, as I had requested, my beautiful and talented friend, Nina, created an “extra” so I could have one of hers, too!

I so appreciate everyone involved. I had so much fun with this swap! Now, I wonder where my tags ended up?

Rainy Day Recipe

2010-03-08T17:21:00.006-06:00

Last Monday (a week ago, today) it rained pretty steadily all day, just as it is today. It was the snuggle-up and stay in kind of day that you dream of. Fortunately my husband is employed (as there are so many out there struggling!) and he had to go to work. So, I had to snuggle to myself. Is that possible?

I have some really happy memories from my childhood. Not all of them are, but a lot of the ones that include my siblings are…

except that time my older brother threw a brick at me and hit me in the forehead—I still have a scar. Incidentally, that was the time he was in so much trouble that Mom chased him up the ladder (wooden slats nailed to the side of a 100 foot Black Walnut tree) to the treehouse. He wasn’t about to get caught, so he jumped out of the treehouse to the trampoline below! Mom definitely wasn’t going to follow. By the time she got to the top of the ladder and on the treehouse platform, she realized just how high above the ground she was. Apparently the adrenaline rush had faded and she suddenly remembered she doesn’t do well with heights. Then, with slightly trembling hands, she tried to climb back down the ladder. Unfortunately, she didn’t know how. Sometimes swinging your legs over the edge, not knowing where there is solid “ground” below, can be overwhelming and paralyzing. Mom got stuck. As the rest of us kids (we’re 7 children) continue to watch the scene unfold, Mom started crying out for one of the boys to help her get down. My younger brothers didn’t quite know what to do, so she told them to go find their older brother. I don’t know how they managed to persuade him to come back to the scene of the crime, but he did. Mom told him to climb up the ladder and help guide her down out of the tree. My brother looked at her as if she had just escaped the Looney Bin. He didn’t think getting anywhere near his punisher was a good idea. He started shaking his head and backing away. Mom all but got hysterical then, and began pleading with him to help her! My brother, always being one to wheel-and-deal (a trait he learned early-on from my Uncle Paul who used to sell us his “cool” stuff like radio station bumper stickers and half sticks of gum) said he’d make Mom a deal. If she wouldn’t punish him…AT ALL…he’d come up to help her down. She readily agreed and up he went. Obviously, this totally wasn’t fair to me, the one with blood trickling down her face, but what’s a girl to do?

But I digress (as usual). I was remembering one of the HAPPY times with my siblings. We lived in this old, old house that was over a hundred years old then. Too bad I was too young then to appreciate the beauty of the gingerbread gables and hardwood floors. The front porch was made of smooth shale, which served as a fitting gathering spot for us and our neighbor friends. In the summer heat, we would lay out flat in our shorts and tank tops to feel the year-round coolness of the stone. The porch was equally appealing in the winter and spring-time (Missouri has GREAT seasons!) When it rained and stormed outside, sometimes we’d gather up our heaviest blankets and quilts and head out to the front porch. I still remember an old patchwork quilt (that had purple marbled fabric on one side) that was so heavy and comfy I’d always be first to grab it! And there we’d sit, watching the rain, snuggled up together on the front porch, just me and my siblings.

I don’t know why certain memories stay with us and others don’t. There doesn’t really seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. But, I’m glad I have these happy ones of my simple childhood growing up in southern Missouri. What rainy day memories do you have?

So, here’s the recipe I cooked last week when it was raining (like it is today) and I didn’t have my husband or my siblings to snuggle with. It’s a very tasty LOWFAT and easy to make Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Chili recipe. I keep most of the products in my pantry so I can whip it up on just such days.

INGREDIENTS:

2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (ground red pepper)
1 large (or two small) can diced Green Chilies
1 white onion, diced
1 bunch green onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
2 cans fat free Chicken Broth
4-6 cans White Pinto or Navy Beans (I use “Great Northern” beans)
3 pounds cooked, cubed chicken breasts (or, you can use 2 large cans chicken breast, drained*)

PREPARATION:

Prepare chicken breasts (cook), cut into small cubes/chunks. (Skip this step if you are using canned chicken.)
Dice green onion, white onion. Chop fresh cilantro (cut off stems first and throw away).
In large soup pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add white onion, green onion, and cilantro. Cook 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly clear.

Stir in chicken broth, chicken, green chilies and spices.

Cover and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in beans.

Return to heat. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve warm. You can cut the recipe in half if you don’t want a giant pot full. Enjoy!

Honorable Mention

2010-03-08T08:49:00.001-06:00

I feel so privileged to have one of my comments featured on Karen Valentine's beautiful blog, My Desert Cottage. She had asked why we love blogging. I love it when someone asks me a question that causes me to really think about something. My response continues to prove honest and heartfelt for me every day.

I love blogging, though I've only been doing it a short time, like you, for so many reasons. Obviously I love the friendships and support you develop from your interactions with other bloggers. I love the whole concept of people being willing to "wear their hearts on their sleeves" so to speak. People can be so closed in "real life" sometimes, but in blogland, people are willing to reveal themselves in a more intimate way than imaginable. I love that!   My favorite thing about blogging, however, is it's not just something I DO. It has become an extension of who I AM. Does that make sense? Blogging causes me to really THINK about the way I live life, because I know I'll probably be blogging about it later. That doesn't mean I do things just so I'll have something to blog. No. But knowing that I will be blogging, sharing the most authentic part of who I am (through my words and artful creations), I want to LIVE fully. I want to create with passion. I want to be the best version of ME I can. If something can inspire one to live daily life with such purpose, it must be a truly wonderful experience.  I just read on someone's blog the other day (sorry, can't remember whose!) that according to an 1800 something version of Webster's Dictionary, Romance means "a style of living".   That so spoke to me because that's how I want my life to be... ROMANTIC. That doesn't mean I want roses and candy and hot passionate sex (though I'm certainly not knocking those!), but it means I want to live in a style that feels true, authentic, and inspiring! Blogging inspires that in me. 

Pretty Vintage Email Button

2010-03-07T10:29:00.018-06:00

While I'm not any kind of web genius, and I am definitely NOT a programmer (though my husband is and STILL won't help me with this stuff), I've learned how to create an e-mail button for my blog. This is the type where you don't have to show the whole world your email address (to avoid spammers), but if someone wants to contact you, she can. If you'd like to use this button, I'd love to share it with you!

This is a 200x200 size image, which means it will fit well in one of your sidebars. Now, the tricky part is making it work as a link, not just a picture. Here's what you do (instructions for Blogger):

Go to your dashboard and click "Layout". There you should see a tab that says "Page Elements". (You will probably already be on "Page Elements" by default. In one of your sidebar columns, select "Add a Gadget". Now, in the open box (below where it says "Title"), paste the following code:

As you have probably already figured out, you will need to replace where it says "mailto:youremailname@youremailplace.com" with your actual email address. For example, you might type in "mailto:coolestchickontheplanet@gmail.com". Click save, to save your new gadget. Then click save to save the update to your layout. Voila! That's it! (Hope this works for you. If not, I don't know if I'll be much help trying to make it work for you, but I can try! :)

Personality Types

2010-02-28T02:38:00.000-06:00

I came across a post today on The Blog Herald. The author, Andrew was discussing an article he had read wherein 64 graphic designers were given the Myers Briggs personality test. If you've ever been a candidate for any kind of professional job, you may've been asked to take this test, as potential employers often use it as tool to "identify" your "fit" within their company.

Though it's been several years since I had taken this test (and thought I had forgotten what "type" I was), it was interesting to note that upon reading the type descriptions, I quickly recalled that I am an ENFJ. ENFJs are generally regarded as "Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership." While this is written in the most flattering way (there are no negative attributes given), I DO feel this adequately describes me and my motivations. So, I'm still wondering what the majority of the 64 graphic artists turned out to be? Any guesses?

What personality type do you see yourself as? Care to share? Click HERE to read a brief synopsis of the 16 types.

Choose Your Colors!

2010-02-25T03:20:00.001-06:00

So I was reading in one of my favorite magazines today (second only to US Weekly...I know, it's trash, but I'm hooked), Where Women Create, and came across a fun little sidebar in the article about The Paper Source:

"...our 'Colorscope' is also about coordinating colors– and then learning how those colors reflect your personality. Our founder Sue felt that a person’s favorite colors revealed something interesting about them, and thus was born the Colorscope. Try it, pick out your two favorites...and read what they tell you about yourself. Just as I’m wowed by how our colors work together, I’m blown away by how my favorites really speak to who I am."

How fun is this, right? I mean, I know, it's kind of like rubbing a Magic Eight Ball or picking Lotto numbers based on what your fortune cookie reads, but I can't help myself! When it comes to mini-quizes, personality-tests, or any other type of prediction game, I'm in! (Remember that game MASH? Where's my Lamborghini, 6 kids, Mansion, and husband Patrick Swayze?)

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to come across one of these "pick it and your universe will unfold before you" things from such a reliable source as The Paper Source! Why not join in the fun with me?!

Here're the Descriptions

(Because it can be too tiny to read!)

curry
You enjoy life and good health to the fullest. Be careful of those around you, your personal power and financial success can overwhelm them.

chartreuse
Grand adventures are part of who you are. You are assertive with powerful energy. People feel like they are your close friends moments after they have met you. You explore the inner meaning of life.

leaf
Finding a balance and creating a nurturing environment is important to you. You also love to be needed.

moss
You are so good at making decisions. You have great strength and conviction in your beliefs. People have a hard time figuring you out, but can always count on you for a crazy adventure.

sage
You listen carefully to everyone around you but really listen for information and details, not emotions. You have amazing logic. You need to find refuge–a place for yourself. P.S. You are also a flirt.

poppy
You are a dedicated party person who hides your sensitive and sentimental side. Although you are pessimistic about your personal dreams, you are incredibly skilled at innovation. You are fearless in your dress and put together the most unusual combinations.

papaya
A great champion of the helpless and defender of the underdog, you have an amazing ability to get things done, as well as to fix things.

strawberry
You are very lucky with opportunities appearing like magic. You are an enchanter, attracting people to you. You are open and enthusiastic.

rhubarb
Curious, enthusiastic and easily stimulated, you are a magnet for opportunity and every new idea. Be careful not to over stimulate yourself, but learn to focus.

red
You know who you are and what you want. Popularity, money and power are all yours. You are kind and generous to your friends. You love to have fun at parties, especially if you are in charge. You are also a perfectionist and you state your opinions boldly.

fuchsia
Courageous and passionate, you have a playful side that balances your serious and spiritual nature. You are confident and not afraid to take action. Remember that the journey is often more important than the outcome of your endeavors.

beet
You are inspirational. You are sympathetic and empathetic. People love to be around you because you make them feel important.

blossom
You are able to gently say the things that your friends need to hear. You have a lovely smile but you need to smile much more often. You are too serious and you need to be more tolerant of failure–both in yourself and in others.

plum
Your appearance is amazing–you always know what looks good on you. You are charming, concerned with the reaction of others and find balance in life. When in a bad mood you may have the tendency to see only the negative.

violet
You are intuitive and have the extraordinary ability to find the center of things. You can predict the future and have a fabulous sense of fashion. You are a great advisor to your friends.

grape
Friends know that you are the shoulder to cry on. With inexhaustible energy, you are a great team builder. Love relationships are very important, but usually you are the more supportive and unappreciated half.

night
You are traditional and reserved on the surface, yet you are a renegade at heart. Your demeanor is steadfast and mysterious. Popularity is not important to you,–which makes you all the more enticing to others.

lake
You are very attractive, talkative and have beautiful, expressive eyes. One of your greatest assets is your sincere love for those around you. You are in touch with your emotions and help others get in touch with theirs.

pool
You are the one that everyone should ask for advice because you stay objective and don't get petty. You need space and like opinions, especially in love relationships.

bluebell
You have a classic style, are a romantic, easy to love, and people find you appealing. Some may think of you as quiet, but you are really thinking deeply about what is going on around you, and then coming up with the perfect solution.

chocolate
You are down to earth, comfortable with who you are and have a great ability to find joy in life. You don't take things personally, you rebound from failure, and go for what you want.

khaki
As an activist you have the power to change the world. Both admired and loved as a friend, you must learn to appreciate both yourself and what you have accomplished.

gravel
Pressure stimulates you and you like setting goals for yourself. You are exciting, curious and are great at parties. You surround yourself with lots of unusual people and have loose boundaries.

cement
Committed to making the world a better place, you have strong faith and a calming effect on your friends.

black
You are highly emotional and very loyal to your friends. You are disciplined, an overachiever and very serious. You have a keen understanding of the past and are aware of why things happen the way they do.

Though for me it was VERY difficult to choose only two "favorites" (I'm a color-junkie), I chose leaf and strawberry, though lake and fuschia were near tie-breakers! What were your two favorite colors? Do they accurately describe you? Please share with me!

Living Life Amid the Thorns

2010-02-21T01:44:00.001-06:00

Ah, blessed Saturday evening! Thankfully my sweet one and I got our errrands done early today, and decided instead of going out, we'd just hang at home. After spending about an hour returning things to their rightful place in the studio, I decided it was time to try to "catch up" on some of my favorite blogs. (Does anyone else feel sad when the Google Reader toolbar says "434"-- meaning there are 434 posts I haven't caught up on yet?) So many people I want to visit, so little time!

One of my biggest problems in blogland, I think, is that I get so easily sidetracked. I'll start by reading one of my favorites, and then I just have to stop and comment. (I'm one of those who STRONGLY believes in positive encouragement and reinforcement.) Next thing I know, I've noticed someone else's clever or insightful comment, and I have to just "take a quick peek" to see who she is. I tiptoe lightly over to her blog, and then it happens all over again! I HAVE to comment on what she's so courageously shared (we are sharing our hearts and souls here!) Next thing you know..... You get the idea. And so, 2 hours later, I'm down to "433" and have found 3 new blogs to "Follow"!

I came across the wonderful blog of a gal who lives right here in my own area (Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex). Ordinarily, I'd love to share her with you, but I don't want to overstep. She mentioned in one of her posts that she had been feeling blue lately (largely in part to an infection she'd been overcoming AND the winter gray skies.) She also commented about a loved one accusing her of throwing a "pity party" and it just broke my heart. As someone who struggles with depression (and Seasonal Affective Disorder), I could SO feel her pain.

At that moment, I just had to stop and send her a personal email letting her know that I can empathize. I've dealt with depression for many years now and a few months ago, I too, was recovering from a serious infection. The antibiotics can really reak havoc on your emotions!

Then, because I STILL felt like I really wanted her to KNOW that she was understood and valued ('cause, really, isn't that what we all want?), I thought, "I'll just create a quick digital collage with a quote I like for her to print and hang." Well, if you're anything like me, "quick" is a word that is incongruous with "create". Another 2 hours later, I finished my small 5x7 collage and attached it to my email.

I'm not trying to "boast" or say what a good person I am or anything. Not at all! I hope it doesn't come across that way. I just SO know how alone one can feel at times due to illness, tragedy, or circumstances beyond our control. I'm so thankful for my blogging community that gives me the opportunity to connect with others who are going through tough things, too. It allows me the opportunity to forget about my worries and focus on caring for another, if but only in a small way.

Live Collage meant to print as 5x7 or smaller.

Drawing Winner!

2010-02-18T22:55:00.000-06:00

Whew! Valentine's Day came and went and I haven't gotten around to declaring the winner of my Blogaversary drawing until now! So sorry to leave y'all hanging in utter suspense (I know you couldn't sleep at night just wondering if you could possibly be the lucky recipient of this Oh-So-Lovely Love Journal)!

I put all the names in the "hat" and the winner is...........

Well before I announce the winner (suspense done American-Idol-Style, which I find to be uber-annoying), I'd like to show you a sample of my husband's endearing handwriting. (p.s. I LOVED all your comments about your loved ones' quirks! So much fun! Thanks for sharing.) This is from the inside of the Valentine's Day card he gave me. I hope he doesn't hate me for broadcasting it to the world...aka Blogland.

Isn't he the sweetest, most adorable husband EVER?!

I hope y'all enjoyed Valentine's Day as much as we did! And, Sarah (yep, you won it, baby!) I hope you and John enjoy the Love Notes journal, too!

Love Notes and Blogaversary

2010-02-09T05:00:00.002-06:00

My friend, Alisa, passed along a fantastic idea: a conversation journal. The idea is for you and the loved one to leave little notes for one another periodically. However, instead of having little post-its (not wedding vows, Grey’s Anatomy fans) and scraps of paper to try to keep up with, all the notes can be kept secure in one nifty little place.

I love my dear sweet husband, Lloyd. He is the most loving man I’ve ever known and treats me better than I ever imagined anyone would treat me. He’s kind and honest and sensitive, and has amazing patience with me. He has so many wonderful qualities, but good penmanship is not one of them. Though he’s smarter than most people, he just never seemed to get the point of taking time to write properly. But, I love this little quirk about him. I love getting greeting cards from him on all those special occasions: Christmas, Birthday, Valentine’s Day, Anniversary, etc. He always seems to pick out the most beautiful cards with verse that seems to be perfectly written about our relationship. As much as I love these chosen words, however, what I love MORE is the personal message he always includes. He writes little things about how much he loves me and wants to be with me forever (and sappy stuff like that, which makes my heart melt and my eyes water.) These special occasions are the rare times I get to see his clunky and ill-formed lettering, and it just endears him to me more. So, when Alisa mentioned the conversation journal, I KNEW this was something that I HAD to implement into Lloyd’s and my life.

One of the gifts Lloyd had given me last Christmas was this miniature book kit about Love Fortunes. (He’s one of those “shop-on-Christmas-Eve” kind of guys and I never know what crazy thing he’s going to bring home!) When I first opened the gift, I tried not to show my disappointment. “What a waste of eight bucks!” I thought. But, being the semi-decent wife I strive to be, I graciously accepted and thanked him.

How wrong I was! That little silver fortune cookie and book of perforated tear-out love fortunes has been one of the best $8 we’ve spent in our marriage! I took it in the bathroom one day to flip through while doing my business. I saw such cute fortunes, I quickly picked one out and folded it inside the silver fortune cookie. I left it by Lloyd’s sink for him to find. The next morning when I got up, I was thrilled to see a new fortune waiting in the silver cookie on MY side of the vanity.

Although we’ve run out of most of the “good” fortunes, we’ve begun adding our own little comments in addition to the generic ones printed (and no, they don’t all end in “in bed”—though I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that! :) I’ve so enjoyed Lloyd’s little hand-written notes and have saved all these little fortune slips for future scrapbooking layouts.

Now, with a Love Notes journal, Lloyd and I can continue our little notes to each other, but I won’t have to try to keep track of 100 little slips of paper! I will, however, have a book full of precious love notes written in my sweetheart’s horrible handwriting to cherish forever.

Front

A BLOGAVERSARY VALENTINE GIVEAWAY!

With all that said, I decided that since I missed my 1 year blogaversary (during which most bloggers offer a giveaway as a celebration), it was time to offer a giveaway to anyone kind enough to follow me here. I’m going to giveaway this lovingly-crafted (notice I used my paper toasting technique) “Love Notes” journal so you and your loved one can share in the fun! (Or, if you’re not currently involved with someone—take this opportunity to use it as a journal for yourself, and write about YOU and the things you LOVE about yourself!)

The rules: You don’t have to comment unless you feel like it. If you’d like to be included in the giveaway drawing, however, I will need you to email me or otherwise leave your name and some way I can contact you (email address, blog address, facebook ID, whatever.)

If you DO choose to leave a comment, what I’d like to know is this: what’s your favorite quirky thing about your significant other? And if you don’t have a significant other (which I TOTALLY get because I was single a LONG time!), tell me about a favorite quirk about a family member or friend, or even your pet!

Finally, it is not requisite that you click on the “Follow Me” tab to the right to follow my future postings on this blog. However, I’d be thrilled to add new readers/friends. I’ve so enjoyed the friendships and connections I’ve been developing over this last year in blogland and hope to continue to do so.

Drawing will occur on Valentine’s Day 02-14-10 (Sunday). I’ll announce the winner on Monday 02-15-10. Good luck!

Inside Front Cover to Write Your Names and the Year

Paper Toasting

2010-02-07T01:02:00.005-06:00

This month’s ATC theme was “Winter”. Almost immediately I knew I wanted to use a doily somehow on my design, as doilies most perfectly simulate snowflakes (except for the fact that unlike snowflakes, all 12 doilies in a package ARE exactly the same—remember Arnold Horshack’s poem in “Welcome Back Kotter?”) With Valentine’s Day approaching soon, there was no problem finding doilies in the craft store. I love the crisp white filigreed edges! How perfect they are! But, as we typically work in Vintage style, I wanted to make my doilies look more aged. They were just TOO crisp and white! I didn’t want to tea-dye them because I didn’t want them to be entirely mulled cider color. I wanted just the edges to be aged looking. But, that was another problem.

For those of you familiar with scrapbooking and crafting, there’s a technique known as “antiquing” paper. It’s also sometimes referred to as “aging”, “inking”, “edging”, and even “distressing”. The general idea is that you take a sepia or other neutral colored ink pad to the edges of your desired image. This makes the image look older and more “worn”. This is the look I was aiming for with my doilies, but NO WAY was I gonna be able to get ink to all the intricate edges of my doily. So, I referred back to a technique I developed a few months ago that I call “toasting” (you know, like toasting a marshmallow over a campfire.)

It’s very simple. Basically all you need is a HOT heat gun. I say this because I imagine a low-wattage heat source won’t work the same. The one I use is a 2-temperature one by The Paper Studio I bought at Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon. I use the “high” setting.

All you have to do is “blow-dry” the edges of the doily and then also kind of straight down from above (to get the inner filigreed cutout edges.) As you move your heat gun around, you will get varying colors of “aging” effects. Toast as little or as much as you like. It’s just like toasting a marshmallow. Initially it takes a little patience, but once you see the golden brown goodness, you’ll be hooked!

See the difference between the “before and after” doilies?BEFORE (unaltered)

AFTER (lightly toasted)

Isn’t the “aged” look from toasting just wonderful?!

So, with this technique in mind, I created my winter-themed ATC by implementing an antiqued doily to represent winter’s snowflakes. The inspiration for my winter ATC was my favorite song of all-time, “The Rose”, sung by Bette Midler. I’ve discovered that several of my ATCs reflect music lyrics. I guess most people who know me know that I love music. Music speaks to me more powerfully than any other medium. It’s no wonder that when I think of my art designs, I think in the language of music (and words—my second great love).

As someone who has always been overweight, I didn’t have but a handful of dates in high school. Even though in college I had more guys ask me out, I still felt like it was going to take FOREVER to find my “Mr. Right”. Many lonely Saturday nights I felt so like that barren seed buried beneath the winter’s bitter snow, awaiting the arrival of my springtime blossoming. God was my Sun and I knew with His precious care, one day I would become the rose. I feel so thankful that when I was 30, my Prince Charming found me and we fell deeply in love and were married.

It’s been over 5 years now and I still remember that cold bitter winter of my life vividly. But, those memories make me even more grateful for the Sun’s gentle love and the opportunity to finally blossom.

Note: if adding glitter, such as I did here, be sure to add it after you’ve toasted. Otherwise, the extreme heat melts it.

My finished ATC rests inside this hand-crafted envelope.

Hearts of Wellness

2010-02-05T03:50:00.005-06:00

We did it! Recently I was fortunate enough to come across a wonderful website, VolunteerMatch.org. On this site you can select your area (by city or zip code) and it will show you mulitple volunteer opportunities from which you can choose. I came across a program called "Hearts of Wellness".

There is a clinic located nearby that is manned by volunteers (including doctors and nurses) that services children who are uninsured or whose families can't afford doctor visits. Pediplace was asking for Valentine treat bag donations to hand out to their patients during the week of February 11-16.

I emailed the volunteer coordinator to inquire as to how many treat bags were needed. For some reason she was very vague and I couldn't seem to pin her down on a definitive answer to my query. She mentioned that she had two others who had volunteered to make and donate 25 Valentine treat bags each. Again, I asked how many more they needed and all she would say was, "Please feel free to just donate as many or as few as you are comfortable with. We'll take any donations we can get."

After further exploration of the website, I read somewhere that Pediplace tends to as many as 75 patients/day. With some handy-dandy calculator magic (because yes, I am THAT poor at doing math in my head), I came up with a number of 375 (75 patients x 5 days of the week). I then had a goal in mind and quickly got to work.

I have learned a great deal in Photoshop this year and always love working on digital projects. So, I whipped up about 7 different Valentines that could simply be printed from one's computer and cut to size. I then attached these Valentine pictures to a bulk email that I sent out to over 100 of my friends, asking them if any would like to participate with me on this service project?

Well, not surprisingly at all, I had many wonderful people respond with loving hearts and willing hands! These ladies generously purchased and put together a total of over 250 Valentine treat bags complete with signed Valentines and LOTS of candy! (Shout out of thanks to the following friends (and their families) for happily helping me with this project: Cara Stimson, Lori Tolbert, Suzanne Strickler, Denise LaJoie, Crystal Bell, Glenda Crump and Jennifer Long.)

Although the Valentines were made in an effort to help these children who are economically challenged feel the community's love and support for them, I'm the one who ended up feeling loved and supported! My heart was full of joy in being able to participate in this simple act of kindness, but also by being willingly joined by wonderful friends. I couldn't have done it without their generous hearts and feel so blessed to know these great gals!

The staff at Pediplace was SO amazed when I showed up with a giant Rubbermaid tub full of donations! They had no idea that I would be bringing so many for them! I only wish all those who participated could've been with me to see their happy faces. Thank you, ladies (and families), for all you've done!

Creatively Challenged?

2010-01-31T02:19:00.004-06:00

Ever feel creatively challenged? Can’t seem to get your mo-jo flowing? What causes you to feel this lack of inspiration? What do you do to alleviate these symptoms?

I think we all must surely go through this at times. It's part of being a creative personality. Just like a performer, no one can exhibit her talent all the time! That's not even reasonable to expect of ourselves. I know I've been ever-guilty of thinking I had to create a marvelous work of art each and every time I go into my studio. Not so. (Heck, I’m lucky if I can create a marvelous work of art ONE in ten times I go into the studio!)

One thing that I've noticed works for me is to (borrowing a phrase from Nike) "just do it." That is to say that when I'm not feeling the least bit inspired, I often just get into my studio and make myself work on something more mundane. Maybe it's just organizing my space. Or perhaps it's just picking up that old project I've been meaning to finish but was too "inspired" doing other things to mess with. Whatever the case, when I tell myself that I'm not really "creating" per se, I find that I can get started. And wouldn't you know, before I have a chance to realize it, that fickle ol' creativity sneaks in and I'm off and running again! Happens every time!

Thanks to Debbie Mumm for the pictures! Don’t you just love her cute images?!

Frozen Stiff

2010-01-21T09:26:00.002-06:00

A small group of friends and I have decided to make every other Wednesday a "Creative Day" at my house. We find that if we make it a regularly scheduled appointment, we have a better shot of actually making sure we include at least a minimum of creativity in our lives. The others couldn't make it over yesterday, but I committed myself to Wednesday Creative Day, nonetheless. Although my desk runneth o'er with bills and junk mail, and the dishes need to be loaded in the dishwasher, I put those lovely tasks aside and headed straight for the craft room. I didn't even stop off at the PC to check my email, fully knowing that if I did, I would be distracted from my goal for hours (I'm an internet junkie!) I did, however, manage to multi-task by doing a few loads of laundry throughout the day, changing loads when I stopped for bathroom or food breaks.

While I didn't create anything profound or amazing, I did CREATE, and that was my purpose. I have a friend who starts out each new year with a word that kind of encompasses what she is attempting to achieve for the year. Last year her word was "journey"--and I was thankful to be a part of hers. This year she's working on "balance". I've discovered that my life is much more balanced--I, as a person, am more balanced, when I make time to create. I KNOW that about myself, but I so often let distractions keep me from doing that which makes me healthy and whole.

I made a couple of cards for people who've been on my "To Do" list to thank or otherwise contact. The one I spent the most time on was a sympathy card for my mom. Recently her cat of 9 years died. Anytime someone loses a pet, it's sad. But, what's interesting about this pet's departure is how it affected my mom. See, my mom has always been fairly "arms-length" with animals. It's not that she doesn't like them, it's just that she sees them as outdoor-only creatures. You can feed them, and play with them, but you do NOT let them inside to shed all over the furniture! Her cat, Polo, was no different....initially.

Polo was a stray. I don't remember when or how he came to be mom's pet, but she ended up being the one who fed him. Though she didn't acquiese to allowing him to live inside, he did manage to work himself into a comfy home in the garage--and even some inside time if Mom's mood was right. In the end, it was the freezing Missouri cold that got him. For some unknown reason, he didn't come home one night. Mom said she opened the door and called for him every hour until about 11pm until she finally went to bed, unsettled. The next morning she got up to go to work and when she stepped out the front door, there lay Polo all curled up at the foot of the steps, frozen stiff.

Mom said she cried and cried. She felt horrible because she didn't hear him come home somewhere in what must have been the wee hours of the morning. She thought that if she had, she could have got him into the garage and snuggled him up. I told her it wasn't her fault, she did her best, but that doesn't really take the hurt away. My parents are divorced, but Dad still lives not too far from Mom's house. She called him up bawling, and told him what had happened. He told her not to worry, he'd take care of it, as she couldn't bare to dispose of poor Polo's stiff body. By the time she got home from work that evening, Polo was gone....forever.

Many of us have experienced the loss of a pet or a loved one. The thing that's of significant interest to me is the way this loss affected my mom. I've never known her to cry or mourn the loss of a pet before. I don't know that she ever, in her whole 62 years of living, allowed herself to get as close to an animal as she did to Polo. But, my mom and dad divorced about the same time Polo came into her life. My mom's not one to wallow in self-pity. She is very independent and doesn't "need" much as far as friends or social interaction. She actually likes living alone. But, whether she voices it or not, I know there have been many days where she has sat and cried when life's difficulties have at times been overwhelming. I can imagine her letting Polo inside for a few stolen minutes to sit on her lap and comfort her. He'd been with her through all the hard times she's faced this last decade--especially as she's grieved over divorcing my dad (because she still loves him deeply--she just can't stand him!)

Although it's been hard thinking of the sadness Polo's death has caused, I'm happy for my mom. It may seem strange to say such a thing, but I am. Although it's "normal" to grieve over a lost pet, for my mom, it marks a whole new level of softness. Because her life has been so hard (and believe me, it has), she's had to put on a "survivor" mask, which became so real to her that she learned how to keep all emotion carefully in check. She had no time or energy for "frivolous" emotions like being sad over a dead cat. But now, in the early golden years of her life, she's finally at a point where she has let down her guard enough to love an animal as a friend. Polo has softened her, and I'm thankful for that. She needs to be allowed to feel love, and loss, and not have to distance herself from feeling--from LIVING.

So, like I said, though I may not have created anything spectacular yesterday, spending a few hours creating this card for my mom (and a few others) allowed me the time to think about my mom and how much I love her. Creating not only gives us freedom in expression, it also allows us a much-needed break from life's hectic pace, to ponder. I think that often we become unabalanced because we don't take necessary breaks to sit back and let ouir minds wander. But the times in which we do, are the times when we FEEL what's inside of us taking shape, waiting for the moment it can be artfully expressed.

Haiti Service Project

2010-01-19T05:44:00.001-06:00

I had a WONDERFUL time yesterday! Late last week I received an email from some women at church stating there would be a service project on Monday to help the victims of the Haiti 7.0 earthquake which had occurred on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. A few women had decided to get together to make baby blankets for the little Haitians and invited our whole Frisco, TX stake (a large group of women of our church who live within certain geographical boundaries)to participate.

Since being layed off over a year ago, I've struggled at times with feeling a PURPOSE. Not yet having children of our own, sometimes I lack the drive to make every day meaningful. This service project opportunity was exciting to me because I knew it was something, no matter how small, that I could do to help. Something that might have a real effect in someone else's life.

So, from 8:30am-6:00pm yesterday, I met with many other wonderful volunteers to make baby blankets. Our goal was to complete 50 baby quilts, but by end of day we had more than 70 either finished or nearly finished! I sat at my machine and sewed all day long, while others pieced fabric and batting, ironed, trimmed, and tied the quilts. We had a whole assembly line going! As I finally got up to leave, several of the others thanked me for my service. All I could say was, "It was a pleasure." And it was.

I hope these blankets make it to Haiti in a timely fashion. I hope some little orphaned child gets one to snuggle up close to and feel the comfort and love that we are sending. I hope I can remember this feeling of how good it is to feel needed. I hope I can reach out to find other ways to serve and regain a sense of PURPOSE!

Slap Chop = FAIL!

2010-01-07T21:04:00.012-06:00

Okay, so I've been MIA since...what? October or something? I don't even know. All I know is it has been too long.

Suffice it to say that the 4th quarter of 2009 was a BEAST for me. I could go into detail, but I have neither time nor inclination to do so. What I will say, though, is that a new year = new determination. And, I am determined.

This is an official alert of the Emergency Cheryl Broadcasting System: From now on I plan to be honest in my blogging. That's not to say that the things I've written in the past have been lies. They haven't. However, they've only been part of me. I know blogging isn't necessarily meant to take the place of good ole "Dear Diary", but I know I'm not happy with the way I handled my blog last year. I know that's part of the reason I stopped writing. When things got going tough in my world, I didn't feel like I had any "good" things to write. As you, the reader (if I still have any left at this point) well know, BLOGLAND seems to be filled with upbeat beautiful portrayals of life and accomplishment and talent galore. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy reading others' blogs who are uplifting and joyful. I do! I need that, too! It's just that I felt overwhelmed by it all and knew the things that were going on in MY life would probably be of little import to anyone else. I also felt that I couldn't "compete" with all that beautiful living and so I stopped trying.

My alert to you is to let you know that I'm determined to be more authentic this year. More authentic in the way I allow myself to "feel" life, more authentic in the relationships I endeavor, and most especially more authentic in my written expressions. Ergo, this may no longer be the blog for you. I won't always have a clever caption (not to say that I ever did) or a nifty photo to illustrate my writings. My posts may be long and boring, at best. But, it's my blog and that's what I've decided is important to me. So, you've been warned. And hey, no hard feelings if you decide to walk out the door now and never look back. Different strokes for different folks and all that jazz, right?

So, today I was actually cooking dinner. As I sat there at the table dicing tomatoes (because that silly Slap Chop gadget I bought doesn't work on tomatoes like it promised!) I had opportunity to let my mind wander. (Of course, I have to keep a pretty tight reign on it because if I let it wander too far, it's likely to never come back.) I got to thinking about the flower arrangement some friends and I sent today for a funeral tomorrow. The gal who passed away was my age or thereabouts. She had colon cancer and unfortunately it got the best of her. I can't imagine the heartache and sorrow her husband and family must feel. I remember over the last several months seeing posts on Facebook and other internet group sites from this gal about her ongoing struggle. She would often comment about her medical treatments or how her days were going. Stronger than I would've been, she often had an upbeat attitude. And then the shame crept in. True, unadulterated shame. I am so ashamed of myself.

I remembered not less than a month ago commenting to another friend how I was somewhat "annoyed" with this gal for always writing about her cancer. I know. *GASP* How could I have thought such a thing, much less have voiced it, right? Anyone in her right mind would've known better than to say such a thing. And what kind of prideful woman thinks such judgemental thoughts? I do......er, I did. Today as I sat crying over the onions, I wept for my shame. How could someone like me, who has seen her own fair share of medical difficulties in life, judge another woman so harshly? Why would I do that? I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I'm much more private about my medical struggles. For some strange reason I seemed to get it into my fat head that everyone should be like me, I guess. I'm almost 36 years old. I should know better than that by now.

You see, lately, I've been thinking a lot about how 2009 was so difficult, not only for me and my family but for so many others. With the continued "recession", so many have suffered. Yet, from my point of view, it seems like so many people I know paste on the same old "Happy Happy, Yep, We're Happy!" smiles they've grown so accustomed to portraying. I feel fairly disconnected from people. I mean, I KNOW that statistically, at least, there have got to be at least a FEW others out there struggling, right? So why isn't anyone sharing? Why are we all so hell-bent on masking our pain? I SOOOOOOOOO need to share my struggles with others because I need the support. In return, I too, want to be called upon as a friend, cousin, sister, wife to be a support to those around me. It's in the sharing of our burdens that our loads are lightened. It doesn't mean things necessarily change. But, at the very least, we can know we're not alone. And isn't that really the bottom line? Isn't that the very reason we seek for love, build friendships and strengthen family?

So, here I sit, judged for my own failings. Maybe the reason this gal felt compelled to share her comments was it was her way of connecting with others. She probably received lots of encouragement, positive feedback, and SUPPORT from others who are far wiser than I. She seemed to understand the necessity to share her struggles with others because in sharing, all who participate are blessed. Why would I ever try to deny someone the beauty of that? I was so wrong. And I want to change.

I am determined.

Just thought I’d share this cool site I’ve found. Ever find yourself looking for a new swap to participate in? This one offers all kinds of swaps, from ATCs to gift exchanges. Read the rules carefully, though, as each swap has different requirements! Happy Swapping!

2009-10-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

Swap-bot - Welcome

Paper Cowgirl Collaborative Memory Book

2009-07-31T05:38:00.022-05:00

I vow to get caught up on all the wonderful things I've experienced over the last few summer months. While I guess I could get bogged down (or should I say "blogged" down?) with discouragement for not being able to keep up with all the things I want to write about, I guess instead I should just enjoy EXPERIENCING them!

One of the great things that happened at Paper Cowgirl at the end of June (the Altered Art / Mixed Media convention in Waxahachie, TX) was my great friend Alisa presented me with a...uh, well... I guess I don't really know the name for it. I call it a collaborative memory book (to henceforth be declared as CMB in my blog posting...if this is the wrong name for it, shoot me.) It really was a most thoughtful gift, as on multiple occasions I had seen such books when shopping together and had emphatically exclaimed, "Alisa! I want one of these! You HAVE to teach me how to make one!" She kept reasurring me that she would take care of me. Oh why did I ever doubt?!

In keeping with the Paper Cowgirl theme, she created this little memory book to which I could later add memorabilia and photos, reminiscient of our Paper Cowgirl experience together. It consisted of multiple pages of varying textures including: paper, chipboard, fabric, antique ledger paper and even BURLAP--now, that's how a girl gets her COWGIRL on. And, as a special tribute, she included photos of both a likeness of the Cackling Poultry With Guns and one of (my many) alter-egos, Pearl Hart.

For those of you who may not know me well, I've always been known as kind of a self-proclaimed renegade. I get that from my mother. While I didn't mean to necessarily become this way, I almost just naturally developed into the kind of "lady" who bucks the system. It's not really that I'm dishonest or a thief...that's where Pearl and I differ. However, I do tend toward the outspoken and strong-willed and am not well-versed in how should I say it...putting up with others' crap. Throughout the years as I've matured I've tried valiantly to learn to share my opinions in a more affable way; however, my miserable attempts at being demure and coy and all those other ill-conceived feminine characteristics have all but failed. Ergo, I wear my badge as Pearl Hart, proud member of the Cackling Poultry With Guns (Society for Displaced Women), otherwise known as the CPG gang.

I so value the time and effort Alisa put into this wonderful little keepsake. From the linen and lace envelope it came in, to the tiny little leather and brass buckle and keys, each detail was a treasure!

So, I've noticed that most people don't post pictures of EVERY page or EVERY little detail of the things they do or recieve. But I can't help it! I just SO love the little details. Not only that, I KNOW how much time (a surprising lot more than one might think) it takes to do something "little" like this, and that's why it's even more special to me. Maybe I'm a nerd, but I waited my whole life to have friends who really "get" this part of me...my creative self. Not only do they "get" it, but they seem to embrace it.

Artists tend to understand the FEELINGS that accompany seeing life through different "eyes" than the more "logical" or less "emotional" kinds of people we coexist with. While I've spent 35 years trying in vain to "overcome" being a person who is full of FEELING and EMOTION (though I can't tell you how many, many times I've wept to have it be differnt), I am finally learning to accept that this IS who I am. God made me this way. Instead of trying to hide my emotions and feelings because others don't understand them or it makes me easier to bruise, I'm finding a community of people who are teaching me that it's okay to be me. It's not just OK. They CELEBRATE people like me. Everyone gets hurt sometimes, and none of us are perfect. But an artist's community seem to be more accepting of the ups and downs we feel and doesn't seem to be as hard on us when we get a little "over" emotional about something. They celebrate the passion and they try to be there for the sorrowful moments.

I don't know if this makes much sense to anyone else, and I am just learning it myself. But that's why I LOVE these little details. To me, each feathered stroke of the pigment ink to "antique" a page, and each special little cut with the "deckle" scissors is an expression of love and acceptance that fills my oh-so-emotional heart with thanksgiving.

Life-Changing Events

2009-07-20T03:34:00.017-05:00

I had my hair professionally cut, colored, and styled for my birthday 2 years ago. Since then I've trimmed it a handful of times, but I had become disgusted with it. See, whereas most women would probably go out to get their "hair did" much more often, I struggle. There are so few good hairstyles known for those with my combination: naturally curly fine hair and round chubby faces. Cut too short...and you have an insta-fro. Too long, and it doesn't look any different. Most styles are geared toward those with straight hair. Ergo, I put off getting my hair done.

Welp, I was finally SO absolutely sick of it that I bit the bullet. I spent several weeks contemplating and psyching myself up for it (as well as many hours on the internet searching photos and doing virtual makeovers of myself). I finally came up with what looked like a cut that might work for me. I took it to a new stylist at the Jon Scott Salon in Frisco. After discussing my fears and ideas with Tina, I was reassured that this new style was going to work well for me. I threw caution to the wind and let her at it! I mean, at that point, I figured it couldn't be any worse than I felt my hair already looked anyway.

After coloring and highlighting my tresses, she whacked off more than 9 inches. Then with some snip snip snips, she was shortly finished (pun intended). A good shampoo and head massage later, I was ready for styling. She blew it out straight for me, but with the TX humidity that afternoon, the natural curl took over, causing the ends to curl up. Nonetheless, I liked the look and am SO pleased I took the plunge. It's totally manageable. I can straighten it, or just wash and go and both styles look great.

If anyone needs a new stylist, I'll hook you up with Tina. With my referral you'll get 20% off, too! Let's all get new cuts this summer!

BEFORE...

AFTER...

LATER IN THE DAY...

THE SIDES...

AND THE BACK...

Red-Letter Day

2009-07-19T00:14:00.037-05:00

Today was definitely a Red-Letter Day!

A new friend I made, Cara Weatherby, invited some gals out to her beautiful home in Burleson, TX (near Fort Worth). It was about an hour drive from my home in Frisco, and I struggled to achieve mind over mattress this morning. But, I'm so glad I won that struggle because I had a

FANTASTIC

time at Cara's! She is ever the gracious and welcoming hostess. I also got to meet her amazing daughter, Candy, a graphic artist (and uber-talented). I was surprised to find out Cara had a daughter Candy's age. When she introduced me, I thought they looked more like sisters! Both Cara and Candy were so warm and genuine; I couldn't help but feel immediately welcome and at home. That's that Southern Hospitality for ya.

I had met Cara a few months ago prior to the Paper Cowgirl Altered Arts Convention (PC) I attended last month in Waxahachie, TX. (Which I still have A LOT to blog about, but haven't gotten caught up yet!) A few of us had decided we wanted to meet other gals prior to the PC event we would all be attending. A few of us managed to meetup in one of my favorite areas, Downtown Historic McKinney square, for lunch at The Pantry and a quick stop into Smitten.

Donna Garcia, Alisa Noble, Marie Jenkins, Cheryl Bass, Nina Little, Cara Weatherby

Maybe it was because Nina, Donna, Alisa and I can be somewhat overwhelming as a group together, but Cara seemed fairly quite and reserved that day. It was so fun to be able to visit with her and her family in her home today and get to know her so much better! She is very lively and fun and has a great sense of humor. I SO enjoyed my time.

She invited us all out to an Altered Altoid Tin workshop. She had all the supplies and provided us with a lovely lunch. We spent the entire morning and early afternoon creating these precious little altered tins with a Mermaid theme. I had wanted to create an Altoid Altered Tin for quite some time, but my "to do" list just keeps growing, and I don't always get around to all the things I want to do! So, I was so excited for the invitation, as I knew it was something I was going to love doing. And I did. I also got to see another gal I had met briefly at PC, Gail, and met another tremendously nice lady, Marie. I just love the feeling of commaraderie because of our shared passion for creativity. The tins everyone created were all so unique, but beautiful. Cara is going to send the pictures she took of everyone's tins and I will update here. But for now, I'm just posting a few pics of the one I made. It was a great day!

My Altered Altoid Mermaid Tin

Closeup of the Left Side

Closeup of the Right Side

Just for Fun--In front of a Sommerset Magazine! Imagining my work on the COVER! :)

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

2009-07-08T16:39:00.018-05:00

Okay, so you know how Forrest Gump says, "Momma always says,

Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know whatchyer gonna get?"

Well, that is SO wonderfully and deliciously true. Just when you're going along minding your business and trying to cross off all the "To Do"s on the list, something totally unexpected and interesting happens that just makes life interesting and reminds you not to take things so seriously all the time!

Yesterday, I was on my way to Donna's new home, but I forgot her new house number. I knew it was on White St. (not the real street name), but couldn't remember the exact number. She said, "5208. It's the 3rd house from the end."

Donna was at her old house with the movers and couldn't be in two spots at once so she had asked if I would go over to the new house to wait for the gas guy. Sure, no problem, I could do that. She also mentioned I might want to bring a chair and a book since there's nothing there yet. So, I load up my folding lawn chair (you know, the pointy-legged UFO-unfolding type that comes out of the bag but you can't ever seem to get back INTO the bag?); my mammoth-sized 64oz. 7-11 Ultimate Gulp; a six-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper (because who knew how long I'd be there and I might've needed a refill); a bag with papers, bills, and various and sundry "to do" items for which I needed to make some phone calls; and a book.

After I got out of the car and reloaded myself with the necessary essentials, I waddled to the front door. It was then that I realized I did't know where I'd put the key Donna had given me. So, I painstakingly UNloaded all my stuff onto the porch, dug through the abyss of my purse for 5 minutes until I found the key (although I truly don't know how I lost it in the first place, as it was bread-wrapper tied to a roughly 3"x"6" discarded piece of cardboard from a new corkscrew opener. Apparently Donna was wise to my propensity to forget where I put things. To prevent me from losing her key, she had attached it to the only thing she currently had available. Incidentally, later once inside her new home, I noticed the only "unpacked" items there were a bottle of wine, 6 wine glasses, and of course the corkscrew.)

After the victorious 5 minute key treasure hunt in the glorious 97 degree Texas morning heat, I slipped in the key and turned the lock. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nadda. I tried turning, twisting, upside-downing, pulling, pushing and overall manhandling that key and door in any way I possibly could, all to no avail. I muttered to myself, "Great. The darn key doesn't work. Figures. Probably some idiot at Wal-mart doesn't know how to make a darn key copy!" Why I feel compelled to automatically disparage Wal-mart employees is beyond me. I really need to work on that...they're just everyday hard-workin' folks like the rest of us. So then I decided I was going to have to trek around to the backyard to see if the key would work in the backdoor.

After struggling to get through two child-safety gate latches, I finally got into the backyard. I was instantly impressed that Donna had already got her doghouses there, along with a nice patio set on the deck that appeared to be the future location of many outdoor girl's night gatherings! I saw two doors. I figured one was probably a door to the garage and the other to the house proper. I went to the garage door first, as it was closest, and tried my key. Again, no luck. "This is getting ridiculous," I thought. "Well, they say third time's a charm." Next I moved to the back door. Lo and behold! The key WORKED! Yippee!

My relief was shortlived, however, as two dogs immediately started barking and yipping at my legs--my uncovered, shorts-wearin' legs. "What the heck?", I thought, "These don't even look like Donna's dogs! And wow...she's already got her couches and TV entertainment center moved in!" Just then from around the corner, a lady came into the room wearing nothing but a t-shirt and panties and both of us nearly jumped. I stared at her and she stared at me, all while these fierce little chihuahuas were threatening unalterable damage to my legs and ankles!

Finally, coming to my senses, I said, "Hi. I'm Cheryl. Are you a friend of Donna's?" She looked at me like I was insane and replied, "No. Who are you?" "My friend Donna asked me to come to her house and wait for the gas guy. Is this 5208 White St.?" "Yes," she answered cautiously. "Is this the 3rd house from the end?" "Yes. This is my house. Why are you in here?", she demanded. She was beginning to appear not only confused, but angry, as well. Maybe she thought I was there to rob her or to kidnap her precious little pups--which I can assure you was the FARTHEST thing from my mind at that moment, or any other for that matter. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. My friend Donna is moving into a home here and gave me this address. She said I was to use her key to go in and wait for the gas guy to come. The key didn't work on the door so I came around back to see if it worked in the back door which, as you can see, it did." Both of us marvelled at how odd that Donna's key opened HER back door! Finally, I apologized several times again and turned to leave.

This time, I went around the other side of the house (as it seemed it might be easier). That was yet another mistake. Not only did I step in dog crap (wearing flip flops...oooooooh!), but that side gate was locked and rocks were shoved against it to keep the dogs from escaping. So, I had to tromp all the way back through the back yard and around the other side of the house again to get my stuff on the front porch. Just as I began REloading all my junk upon myself, I saw the Atmos Energy van pulling away! I must've missed him while I was busy being eaten by chihuanas (I swear those dogs were a rare mixed breed of chihuahua and pirana). Loaded down with all my gear, I started "running" (and I use the term loosely) down the block waving my arms and shouting at the Atmos Energy guy to come back. Thankfully, he saw me and stopped.

Just then, the neighbor lady came out her front door (having donned a pair of shorts) and said, "Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I was just shocked, especially since your key worked in my door" I said I completely understood, I would be, too, etc. etc. We both agreed, though, that perhaps she had left her back door unlocked and that's how the key had "worked". Then she said, "I was thinking, maybe it's supposed to be the house across the street. I've seen people cleaning over there, and it's been on the market for a few weeks." I figured I had nothing to lose at that point, so I crossed the street to try the corkscrew key. Bingo. Why couldn't I have just tried this keyhole to begin with?

I removed my odious flip flops and welcomed myself and Mr. Gas Guy into Donna's new home. After we got things straightened out and he went to do his business, I call Donna and say, "Hey, Donna? What's your new house number again?" She confidently replies, "5208." I wondered if I should tell her, or just let her meet the neighbor and chihuanasthe same way I had?

It was all just so unexepected, I couldn't do much else but laugh. Good thing I love chocolate!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2009-05-13T03:23:00.042-05:00

We just had our spring ATC swap! From my title here, you can see I went with the simple, "April Showers Bring May Flowers" notion. I've always loved the whole Mayday tradition. I remember as a little girl in elementary school making May baskets out of construction paper, filling them with live flowers (most likely dandelions and wild morning glories) and secretly hanging them on our neighbor's door handle (Mrs. Campbell) to find later. I always felt so proud to have created something pretty that I was absolutely convinced would bring utter delight to the receipient!

Here are a few pictures of the ATC I created to share:

I found this image of the little girl making the little boy hold the umbrella over her in the rain just TOO ADORABLE to pass up! So like something I would do! There were actually quite a few layers that went into making the front side of this ATC, though one can't readily tell from looking at it here. Of specific note, however is the fact that this is MY handwriting on vellum behind the image. I also learned how to create rain in Photoshop and added the falling rain to the image here. I was quite pleased with myself, I must admit!

And the backside--early 20th Century children wrapping the Maypole:

I made little MayDay Baskets out of satin heart boxes I had snagged on clearance months ago for 25 cents (I just KNEW I could use them for something!). I distressed them with varying shades of ink to have that blush look. I sewed handles out of scrap paper and crepe paper. The handles were a little large for the tiny heart baskets, but I didn't have time to go back and re-do them! Oh well. Live and learn. I placed vintage roses inside the baskets to mimic fresh flowers one would normally place in a MayDay Basket.

As always, I was incredibly impressed with the ATCs I received from my swap partners, and fellow Cackling Poultry with Guns gals (CPGs). Just when I think I've done some pretty decent work, I see theirs and start asking myself why they continue to let me play with them?

Here's Donna's:

Donna never ceases to amaze me with her unique style. I am always excited to see what she will surprise us with! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her take on "April". What else for this southern MS girl than Mardi Gras?!? How perfect! I love this image!

Donna explained that the goldish looking fabric underneath the masked face is a piece of a vintage handkerchief she found while on vacation a few weeks ago in Florida. She was so sweet to bring us all back several beautiful hankies and tatted doilies. I just love it when people think of me while they're away on vacation! I don't know if it's because I'm narcissistic, I like gifts, or what. But, I will openly admit that I love little gifts! It doesn't really even matter what it is. I just love the idea that someone was thinking of me and wanted to please me with a small gesture. I guess it makes me feel valued. What can I say...it's my Love Language.

Next up was Nina's ATC:

Nina always has such a way with placement and her work has a natural beauty.

I love how she wound the vintage seam binding around the edge of the card which, along with the tulle and crown, give it a 3-dimensional element of texture.

Nina's beautiful ATC was presented in her version of a MayDay Basket: a vintage tussie. How cute is that?! She made these wonderful little cones and adorned them with velvet ribbon, vintage sheet music, and filled with shredded pink "grass"!

And last, but of course certainly anything but least, was Alisa's presentation!

She, too, totally got into the spring theme! Her ATCs came presented to each of us in our own little "tub o' garden". She even fashioned her own ATC scrolling wire card holders to stick into the "earth".

The front of her ATC has this ornate black and white scrolling garden gate look, complete with a miniature (or as my brother, Connon, likes to say, "Shetland"--he thinks anything miniature should just be called "Shetland". He even thinks "little people"/midgets should be refered to as Shetland people) lock.

A peek inside...I could hardly wait to see what was behind that little hinged "door"!

Inside was nothing to disappoint! Each of our ATCs had a unique Fairy poem inside. Keeping with the purple flowers in my "tub o' garden", my Fairy and accompanying flowers were all purple. The Canterbury Bell Fairy poem reads:

Bells that ring from ancient towers
Canterbury Bells
Give their name to summer flowers
Canterbury Bells!
Do the flower-fairies playing
know what these bells are saying?
Fairy in your purple hat,
Little fairy, tell us that!

Isn't that wonderful? I love being the purple-hatted fairy girl (one step closer to the Red Hat Society!)

Alisa spent great time and effort in hand-stitching all these beads and flowers and vintage seam binding into this lovely floral creation. I'm always amazed at the detail-work she puts into her creations. I couldn't have been more thrilled to receive this piece!

I love artist trading card night. It's always so fun. Next month we are forgoing ATCs and instead doing a coin roll album collaboration. I saw the idea here and presented it to the group as something we might do. Luckily they all agreed. We'll have to see how it all comes out...but knowing these gals, it will be lovely!

Stubby Little Pencil

2009-05-13T00:05:00.021-05:00

I've been a busy little bee! Seems like "stuff" just piles up so quickly. I can't imagine how people with full-time careers AND children manage to get so much done. I've always marvelled at the capacity some women seem to have to do EVERYTHING! A few years ago, I came to the sad, but true, conclusion that I simply am not one of those women. I am so limited by my own personal challenges and handicaps, that at times I can be overwhelmed to the point of paralyzation.

Though I don't always remember the lesson as well as I would like, I often reflect on a principle I learned several years ago by reading a book by a Japanese-American woman I greatly admire, Cheiko Okazaki. I've always loved her writings, as hers is the elegant, yet rare voice of both brutal honesty and enthusiastic optimism. In one of her addresses to the women in church, Cheiko talks about her years growing up as a Japanese woman in a primarily Caucasion society, where she often felt like she didn't quite fit. She explains that as she grew, and came to understand her purpose in life, she became a champion for differences!

She said, "...look around...Do you see women of different ages, races, or different backgrounds...Of different educational, marital, and professional experiences? Women with children? Women without children? Women of vigorous health and those who are limited by chronic illness or handicaps? Rejoice in the diversity of our sisterhood! It is the diversity of colors in a spectrum that makes a rainbow."

by Marcia Diane

She further explained that no matter what our specific individual circumstances, we can each have a profound impact on the lives of those around us. She explains, "Do not feel that your gift is insignificant. Mother Teresa says, 'I’m a little pencil in the hands of God. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything—and it’s really hard-—sometimes it’s a broken pencil. He has to sharpen it a little more. But be a little instrument in His hands so that He can use you anytime, anywhere. We have only to say Yes to Him'.”

When I am feeling a bit discouraged because I can't seem to accomplish all the things I set out to do (or rarely even half of them), I try to remember Cheiko's (and Mother Teresa's) wisdom. I envision myself as a pencil...albeit a fat, stubby, chewed on, worn-down eraserless pencil. I try to remind myself that I don't have to be perfect to do something. I can give a part of me. All I need do is say YES.

Whether or not one shares my Christian philosophy is irrelevant. While I personally believe that while in God's service, He will magnify us to be more capable than we would normally be, the principle is equally true for nonbelievers. Whether we are saying "YES" to God or simply "YES" to ourselves, we become stronger in the act of doing. Instead of holding back our gifts (creativity) because we fear they may not be good enough, or well-received, or whatever the case may be; instead, we must move forward with courage. We have to trust that our best efforts WILL matter. We will believe that our unique gifts DO make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. We commit ourselves to sharing our gifts, talents, or simple acts of service. We have faith (or even the tiniest bit of hope) that in so doing, we will be filled with personal purpose. The spectrum of our collective rainbow will shine brighter, bringing joy to those within its arching reach.

Marie Antoinette Bits and Baubles Swap

2009-04-30T00:16:00.035-05:00

Well, it's finally OVER! Don't get me wrong, I pretty much loved every minute of it, but I am finally finished with the Marie Antoinette Bits and Baubles Altered Canvas Swap hosted by Maria at The Junkk Drawer. I know I learned a lot over the last one gazillion hours I spent crafting my little "piece"!

The lowdown for those of you who don't know: This swap was open to anyone interested. You "sign up" and then the hostess, Maria Rodarte, put all the names in a randomizer and they all got switched around. She then emailed everyone to let them know who their partner for the swap would be. The reqs: use one 9x12 canvas, divide it into 12 squares. Decorate/Alter to your heart's desire. The theme was simply "Marie Antoinette". You were to create this piece and then mail it off to your partner by Friday 4-24-09.

Well, after many many hours of tiny detail work that you wouldn't necessarily notice, but is there nonetheless, I finally finished my piece...EARLY EVEN! But, I somehow still managed to mail my canvas out LATE! How did that happen?! I was ever-so conscious of the deadline.

At the "last minute" I decided to send my swap partner, Suzie, a few handmade "extras" to go along with the work I'd created for her. Here they are:

I made some digital/altered Marie Antoinette inspired birthday cards (package of 6), along with a Marie Antoinette inspired necklace. Here's a closer look at the beadwork of the necklace:

I was surprised at how many hours I actually spent crafting this piece, but was happy doing it nonetheless. I only hope Suzie will forgive my tardiness! :)

The other "extra" item I included was a really cool "crown" hang hook I found at Hobby Lobby (one of my all-time favorite stores!) When I saw it, I knew it was just what Suzie would need to hang her Marie altered canvas on. How perfect!

Now, before I "reveal" my creation...and try to explain what I did...I want to share Sweet Suzie's gift to me! Suzie, for one, was ON TIME with her creation. Way to go, Suzie!

I can tell by the details on her altered canvas that she worked really hard on it and I so appreciate her efforts. It can be daunting to create something for someone you've never met before, but Suzie faced the challenge head on! I especially LOVE the awesome vintage rhinestones she placed on it. Wow! So much sparkly sparkly. What a lucky gal I am to be the recipient of such generosity. Thank you so much, Suzie!

Now, with an explanation, of sorts, of what I attempted to do with the piece I created: I was feeling somewhat limited by the small canvas size, and then struggling even more to divide it into 12 squares! That was going to make it really difficult to incorporate everything onto the canvas that I had wanted to. So after thinking it over several nights as I was trying to go to sleep, I finally came up with a solution! Pockets! I created 12 "pockets" that would add additional space for me to be able to tell Marie's story. So, not only did I get to "decorate" my 12 squares, I was also going to be able to include the history of Marie's life. This was really important to me.

One of the things I really like about working with vintage items in altered art is that the items have a story. Every tattered piece of lace and every tarnished jewel belongs to someone's life story. As I've journeyed into this world of vintage and altered art, I've learned that it's not just the items themselves that I fall in love with...it's the stories behind them that matter most to me. When I go to an estate sale, I like to ask questions and find out about the lives of those who lived...why these items might have been important to them. For me, the items are only a representation of their owners. It's always been the PEOPLE and their stories that matter more than the trinkets they leave behind.

Ergo, when creating my Marie Antoinette altered canvas, I wanted to do something a little more than just using items to represent Marie Antoinette. I wanted to incorporate my other favorite artistic medium to tell her story...words. I love words as much or more than my paints and brushes, my glitter and bling. Words are my most favorite artistic expression and I felt my piece wouldn't be complete without their inclusion. With this in mind, I took several hours over the course of a week to research Marie Antoinette's life story. Within each of these 12 pockets is included a tag. On each tag is a picture that represents a portion of her life. On the backs are very brief summaries of the differnt aspects of her biography. While I wasn't able to write everything I wanted to, I was able to give a portion of the details and I felt satisfied that I had completed my primary objective!

The fronts of the twelve tags:

The backside of a few of the tags:

Here are the black and white images on the fronts of the pockets that represent aspects of her life and the story contained within the interior of the pocket:

Here's a few upclose shots of the 12 pockets:

And here, as the French would say, without further adieu, is the completed canvas:

Though it's far from perfect, and there are many other wonderful versions/creations by others involved in this swap, I was pleased with how it turned out...especially considering the time I invested into it. Funny thing is, after you work so hard on a project, it is difficult to give it away to someone else! I can only hope it makes Suzie as happy as it made me while dreaming, thinking, pondering and creating.

I also wanted to thank our sweet hostess, Maria, for such a wonderful opportunity to get involved, so I made her a little gift, as well. Hers was also a package of Marie Antoinette inspired birthday cards and a Marie Antoinette inspired charm bracelet:

My favorite thing out of all the things I created in the last two weeks, however, was this Thank You card for Maria. Silly, huh? Spend many many hours on jewelry and an altered canvas and the thing I am most pleased with is a silly little greeting card!

But, as previously stated, this was a growth experience for me and I really was thankful for the stretching it caused me to do!

TWO GIVEAWAYS!

2009-04-15T04:45:00.004-05:00

Hey, Friends! Guess what? Yvette at Charm House is giving away FREE MONEY! That's right! A $25 gift certificate to Target. Who couldn't use that to buy herself some yummy bubble bath and ice cream bon bons? That's what our husbands think we do all day anyway, right? Go visit Yvette before 04/21/09, leave a comment, and you are IN!

Also, Diane is giving away the cutest teacup nest! Go enter the drawing so you can win this little lovely!

Diane Knott's Teacup Nest Giveaway!

Good luck everyone!

Easter Gifts!

2009-04-15T03:21:00.009-05:00

Easter didn't go unnoticed at the Bass household this year! Imagine my surprise when the Easter Bunny (for the first time in the 5 years since I've known my husband) left me a goody-filled Easter Basket this year. It was even more of a surprise because I didn't find it "hiding" in my craft room/studio until late afternoon. Apparently the Easter Bunny thought that was the most logical place to leave my treats, even though I usually don't go in there until night-time (when I create best). Oh well! I'm just happy he showed up at all!

The second great surprise Easter treat came much later in the day. At about twilight, the door bell rang. While fighting down the oh-so-eager Chance (a.k.a. Chanuisance), I managed to open the door a crack. Would you believe it? We had our first-ever Easter caroler?! I know, I know. One usually thinks of carolers at Christmastime. But, Easter is all about Christ, like Christmas, so it only makes sense, right? Why didn't anyone ever think of that before? Brilliant!

Actually, it was a friend's little girl sporting a bunny-ear headband, singing "Hoppy Easter to you. Hoppy Easter to you..." You get the drift. She was cute, though!

Lori Tolbert is my Visiting Teacher from the Relief Society organization at church. Don't know what that is? See my earlier post about the Relief Society. In the women's organization, they match everyone up with a partner or what we refer to as a "companion". Each companionship is assigned a handful of 2 or 3 other women from the organization to visit at least once a month. Everyone is paired up with a partner, and everyone gets assigned to have someone visit her. That way everyone has at least 2 other someones in the group to look out for her! This is known as Visiting Teaching, because you "visit" the gals you are assigned to and after lots of chatting and catching up, you usually leave a spiritual thought or scripture "teaching". Usually your visiting teachers (those who visit you) and/or your visiting teachees(those you and your companion visit) become some of your best friends simply because you're so invested in one another's lives and well-being.

So, Lori's daughter, Ariana, came to our door and sang us this cute "Easter carol" (while our ever-loving pooch, Chance, kept barking and clawing to get out!) Then she gave us the sweetest gift Lori had made for us!

I love this simple, but elegant Easter expression! How clever is Lori?!

What a great gift idea...something both calorie-free AND reusable each Easter season! I just love how she spent such time making these adorable stuffed fabric eggs! A few scraps of fabric...who knew?!

Lori, herself, is just a pretty amazing gal. I'm always so impressed with how gracefully she balances marriage, motherhood of 3 little ones, AND still manages to come up with the cutest and craftiest things! Even though she and I haven't been able to schedule a time to sit down and "visit" much lately, that sweet treat sure made me feel loved!

Marie Antoinette Artisting Day

2009-04-13T01:58:00.027-05:00

As I may've mentioned (I don't know...can't remember!) I'm participating in an awesome collage swap hosted by the oh-so-lovely and talented Maria Rodarte at The Junk Drawer. With the April 1st release of Sommerset Studio's Marie Premiere issue, the theme for our collage swap is of course, Marie Antoinette .

With mail-outs occuring on 24, April, there isn't much time to create a stunning piece for our partner's pleasure! I received my swap partner's name just a few short days ago and am so excited to exchange pieces with her! Suzie Buttons lives in nearby Garland (a suburb of the Dallas Metroplex) and seems to be a master seamstress, among many other talents!

A couple of friends and I got together last week to spend all day working on our project (as we are all participating!) As the morning began with clouds and rain, I texted Alisa excitedly, "Today is a GREAT day for artisting!" Because of the rain, my Red Velvet Cake was ill-prepared for traveling. I need one of those tupperware-style plastic cake-carriers! (Do they even still make those?) But, alas, I didn't have one. So, being the Creative-Carey* that I am, I fashioned my own handy-dandy-cheaper-than-dirt-but-still-functional cake-carrier! (*Creative-Carey is standard nomenclature in my native family. We use the term to massage our egos for always coming up with weirdo ideas and contraptions! Growing up as one of seven children, money was very short. We continually found ourselves inventing all kinds of items or "fixes" for things that "normal" people would've bought replacement parts for! It's okay, though. We're actually quite proud of our creative ability to always find a winning solution to any problem--and usually get a good laugh out of it, too!) Here's how I handled the rain and transporting my fancy cake:

You've got to admit all that masking tape and aluminum foil is a real BEAUTY!!!

Alisa, as always, had prepared a wonderful place for us to craft, complete with BLUE decor and treats (to match the Marie cover!) She's so dandy that way!

While I somehow managed to control myself and not devour the all the lovely little candies, I DID heartily partake in the Red Velvet Cake and Nina's yummy spring cupcakes! Thank you, Nina! Next to Red Velvet , white cake is my favorite!

Nina apparently had a little trouble with transporting her goodies, as well, so I didn't feel so badly! They tasted YUMMILICIOUS nonetheless!

While I can't yet reveal our collages, I CAN tell you that the sun came out and we had a wonderful time together! And, frankly, you can be assured that anytime cake is involved in my creative process...the results will be worthwhile! We'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out! I'm so glad Maria decided to host this swap, as I am having the BEST time with it! (But then again, it's not April 23rd yet. Ask me then!)

Red Velvet Cake Makes Life Better

2009-04-12T23:18:00.012-05:00

I'm not sure why, but for quite a few years, Red Velvet Cake has been my favorite kind of cake. Don't get me wrong, I love cake. Pretty much any kind of cake will do when I need a fix. But, if I had my "druthers", I'd choose Red Velvet every time. (Disclaimer: it can't be dry or bland...it has to be GOOD cake.)

A couple of weeks ago, I came across this recipe for "Mom's Red Velvet Cake" on Feathering the Nest and decided to give it a whirl. Boy am I glad I did! This is the Red Velvet Cake recipe for me. Not only was it easy, but oh-so-tasty!

Admittedly, I DID add a couple of changes to make it "mine". I'll give you a hint: I subsituted half of the called-for vanilla with another favorite flavor of mine--both in the cake batter and the frosting! The other specialty item I added was 1 small box of vanilla pudding. I do this with pretty much every cake I make, whether from a box mix or from scratch (as was this). It makes your cake fuller and moister every time. I learned this trick from MY mom! (And she thinks I never listened to her about anything!)

Booking Your Blog

2009-04-06T15:01:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know about this great site that my friend (and UBER-AMAZING mother) Valerie clued me into: BLURB.COM. Valerie always has so many neat things to write about in her blog. At the end of each year, she uploads all her posts and photos into a book and has them printed. That way her whole family will always have a physical reminder of everything they've done as they've grown together. I plan on doing it myself at the end of 2009. I just think it's so amazing, I had to share!

March ATC Swap

2009-03-30T03:06:00.047-05:00

Nina Little, Cheryl Bass, Alisa Noble.
(Not Pictured--Donna Garcia, taking photo!)

Another great part of my weekend was Saturday! We had our monthly ATC swap. This month's theme was "March". As you may've guessed, some of us were struggling to come up with a concept that speaks "March". We didn't necessarily want to do St. Patrick's stuff, so... Then Alisa suggested maybe we could expand our theme to be "The Written Word." At first, me being the "religious zealot" of the group (hee hee) thought she meant we should do something with a Bible verse. She laughed and mockingly said, "Not THE Written Word, silly. Just the written word." Okay. Gee, Alisa, that clears it all up! Crystal.

I struggled for weeks in my head trying to figure out just what I should do. Finally I settled upon the idea of the importance of correspondence between friends (as you know I am big on!) I lament the loss of written correspondence. Receiving a letter or card in the mail (no matter how brief), is one of my most favoritest things ever! No one really does that anymore. We talk on the phone because long distance isn't expensive anymore and you can call anytime anywhere with cell phones. Thankfully, email is at least responsible for SOME form of written communication, but even that is lacking. The loss of properly formulated sentences and overall cohesion probably causes my 8th grade English teacher such grief! So, with my respect for the value of written correspondence, I made these ATCs:

The Front has a cutout image of two women reading letters in the garden. The image is imposed over a vintage french script letter, with vintage lace at the bottom and pink crepe paper on the side (Ann-Denise would be proud!):

The Back includes a fabulous quote by Walt Whitman, "The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity."

Additionally, I wrote teeny tiny actual letters to each of my three friends I swap with: Nina, Donna, and Alisa. They are tucked inside these little vellum envelopes that I made. It was really sweet when they took them out and read them.

Donna (the tough-exterior-nobody-messes-with-me-gun-totin'-warrior) even got teary-eyed. We bonded and had "a moment".

For presentation, I stuck with my "brown paper bag" concept, as implemented last time. I figure if you put things in a plain jane brown paper bag, they won't expect much. When they open it up, no matter how lacking my ATC may be, it will be better than they expected! I mean, who really expects something great to come out of a brown paper bag? It's always a nice surprise. Good logic, huh?

My real "presentation" were these little birds nest I made for my ATCs to rest in. I'd seen the idea in a recent magazine (though I can't for the life of me remember which! Sorry!) They're constructed from plain kraft paper run through the shredder. You staple the ends, then kind of twist them and then staple them into a cirlce shape. It's not as easy as it might initially seem, and it took me some practice to get them to resemble a nest. I added Tim Holtz distressed embossing powder to give some texture. I didn't realize that the distress embossing powder doesn't smooth out like other embossing powders when heated. It does melt, which allows it to stick to the paper surface, but leaves a real texture...like a fine sandpaper. It wasn't what I had planned on, but turned out to be better than my idea! I used Gesso and a small amount of robbin's egg blue acryllic paint to whitewash the tiny paper mache eggs. I love how the Gesso didn't take away from the natural speckledy look of the paper mache.

We met at Lavender House Tea Room in downtown McKinney. I had not been to this venue before and was very pleasantly surprised. Walking in, you are greated by great lighting (crystal chandeliers), chic tableware (black linens and toile tableskirts), and lovely "live" piano music. Okay, someone had to point out to me the fact that no one was actually playing the black baby grand (it was one of those modern-day player pianos), but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the "Phantom of the Opera" theme song and other goodies.

With red roses adorning the table tops, and small white tealights glowing in small but elegant crystal vases, I was ready for a fabulous "froo froo" lunch with my best girlfriends!

Though the tea room was crowded with a Bridal Shower, a Red Hats Society gathering, and a Birthday luncheon, our waitstaff was courteous and attentive. As we were waiting on one member of our party to arrive, we were offered a small appetizer of carrot/bran muffin top. They were both soft and tasty, and took the edge off our hunger! The salad course was well-received, as we each enjoyed our individually selected house-made dressings. The Parmesan Vinagrette I had selected was well-blended and perfectly complimented the freshness of my salad. The warm crescent wrapped chicken dish was delightful! The crust was just the right balance of flaky and tender and could easily be cut into with one's fork. The chicken mix inside included mushrooms, some sort of cream and cheese mixture, and fully cooked and cubed chicken breast. This is just my sort of dish and I don't mind admitting that I ate every crumb on my plate!

With lunch finished, we could hardly wait to begin "swapping"! Donna first presented her ATCs. Now, it should be noted that Donna has had a killer week at work. They are closing out their fiscal year, and she has worked nights and weekends, with only the occasional break for any type of social activity. We were fortunate she could even get away this weekend to gather with us. Incidentally, Donna had stayed up until 5am Friday night/Saturday am to complete her ATCs in time for the exchange. I couldn't have been more thrilled with how they came out. Donna, being a woman from the south (Louisiana--the Bayou state) had no trouble coming up with a concept for "March". It didn't even occur to any of the rest of us, but to Donna, March = Mardis Gras!

She created these amazing little pieces, complete with crackle medium, embossed masks with peacock feathers, and tiny little Mardis Gras beads! Thankfully, she didn't make any of us show us our TA-TAs to get our "beads"! She had a clever idea for her presentation. Another part of her heritage is the King's Cake, in which someone finds a tiny plastic "baby Jesus" in his piece of cake. This person, according to Wikipedia, "has various privileges and obligations (such as buying the cake for next year's celebration)." Donna purchased 3 cupcakes from Celebrity Cafe & Bakery, with Yellow, Green, or Purple frosting (Mardis Gras colors). She then hid a tiny plastic baby Jesus trinket in one of the boxes, and presented us each with a cupcake and our ATC. Our gorgeous Nina was the winner!

Then we took a break for dessert! All I can say is DELICIOUS! I had this amazingly creamy lemon cheesecake with berries dish; donna the chocolate cheesecake, and Alisa the lemon tart. They were all great!

After inhaling, er, I mean politely nibbling on very small bites of dessert, it was time for Nina's ATCs. See, the thing about Nina is this: You want to hate her because not only is she gorgeous, funny, AND nice, but she's also amazingly talented! Funny thing is that she undersells herself and her abilities. There's no way anyone could hate Nina because she's just so fabulous, though she doesn't see it the way we all do!

I'm always so impressed with the things she comes up with. I love the way she imprinted the fleur de lis in the pink paint, and then "dusted" a brown pigment across everything. (I'm quite certain that doesn't aptly explain what she's done here, but you'd have to ask her!) The effect she has created is one of old, but elegant, not at all unlike the French romantic style she prefers.

Inside her envelope, she has adhered her ATC with vintage creme seam binding.

Upon untying the ribbon, one discoveres this wonderful little gal! I love how the "ideas" are flowing from her mind!

Not fully having recovered from Nina's brilliance, we moved on to Alisa's gifts.

Alisa's ATC Package Front

Alisa's ATC Package Back

Now, as I've stated before, Alisa is kind-of our little ringleader in this group. It is she that inspired us all to start along this "altered art" path, and it is she who has continued to encourage our growth and lead us along to bigger and better things! So, as one might guess, in some ways (though not consciously) we probably have higher expectations for Alisa. Though clearly not fair, it's a good thing she ALWAYS DELIVERS! I couldn't have been more thrilled with Alisa's presentation. In the format of a miniature book, she did a front "cover", as well as a back.

Within, one finds a "fold-out" of Lewis Carroll's 1865 classic Alice in Wonderland's Tea Party!

I can't believe both the cleverness and patience necessary to create this mini-book! Alisa knows how I love all things mini! I love how she also used paper from one of DCWV's newer stacks, "Garden Party". This, coupled with lunch at a real tea room, and her lemon tart for dessert, couldn't be more congruent!

The ladies had their "tea" served in beautiful china cups, and we relaxed and chatted for a bit longer!

After a WONDERFUL time at lunch, we went to Smitten (an AMAZING store of vintage art and decor). Was having a wonderful time browsing (aka "dreaming") when a gal I had said hello to asked me where I got my magazine. I was carrying around the newly released issue of Sommerset Life. I pointed to a "tub" up by the register and walked her over there to show her. She picked up her copy, and next thing I knew, I overheard her telling her husband, "This is the one I'm in!" Me being the non-shy person I am said, "Oh! You're in this magazine?" She said, "Not this one, though I have been in others." Then she pointed to the back cover, which is advertising an upcoming Sommerset special issue, Marie Antoinette. I said, "Oh really?! Wow! You're going to be in Marie Antoinette?!" From there we introduced ourselves. Imagine my surprise at having encountered Ann-Denise Anderson of Whim And Fancy Designs! Not only is she an amazing craftress (she is widely known as the Crepe Paper Queen), but she is also going to be the instructor for a class that we four signed up for at Paper Cowgirl in June! I quickly called over Alisa, Nina, and Donna to let them know who had been "discovered" right there in Smitten! What a delight to have met a fellow Paper Cowgirl and mixed media artist! Since this chance encounter, Ann-Denise has graciously emailed us to let us know how much she enjoyed meeting her, as did we her!

It was a wonderful time shared with friends both old and new!

Friday Night Card-Making "Sparkly Eyes"

2009-03-30T02:11:00.011-05:00

I had a Fabulous Weekend! Once again I am reminded of how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family!

Friday night was our monthly Scrap Happy Ones Together (SHOT) Scrapbooking Meetup at my place. We had about 18 ladies turn out. It was potluck and that was some good eatin', let me tell you! Not only are the ladies in SHOT amazing and talented scrapbookers, they are some of the dang finest cooks around! This month's theme was "St. Patrick's/Irish". We had everything from homemade lasagna (with spinach, of course!), pistachio fruit salad, to Wisconsin Sushi (pickles rolled in cream cheese and corned beef--surprisingly yummy!) and Corned Beef and Cabbage pizza. Yeah, I'd never heard of Irish Pizza either, but it was good.

Amazingly, I also managed to get some work done. Usually at the SHOT crops, as the organizer, I don't always get much done. Not only do I enjoy chatting and goofing off with the others, but by the time everyone gets there and settles into work, I'm too pooped to drag all my stuff out of my studio to do any work! This time, however, I wanted to re-purpose a few greeting cards I'd come across in my stash. I've been sorting through my stacks and stacks of stuff in preparation for our annual SHOT Scrapbooking and Craft Yard sale. I have so much good stuff I know I'll never use. I can't stand to part with it unless I know it will go to someone who really wants to use it! So, I had come across some old greeting cards that had little bears or something over-the-top cute like that on them. I'd also saved a few sheets of 5x7 paper from the Scrapbook a Day calendar I'd received as a Christmas gift. I knew I could add a few vintage images and vintage lace to make something simple but unique.

I was able to complete 3 sets of 6 Birthday Cards. I love to send a personal birthday greeting, but had gotten behind due to the fact that I was out of hand-made cards! It's been on my "to-do" list for a long time, now, but if you're anything like me, your "to-do" list seems to keep getting longer, no matter how many items you cross off! I was very happy with these cards. Though they are pretty simple, it's okay. Sometimes QUANTITY is what is needed. I can't always afford to spend 2-3 hours on just ONE card. But, it's still important to me to send a card that is SOMEWHAT crafty.

What's funny about the last two here is that once again I had Mr. Kirky's sing-songy-voice in my head, "There's no such thing as a mess-up!" I accidentally blemished the face of the birthday girl pictured here with a water droplet. The photo ink bled a little bit, but I was too busy/lazy to go print out another. So, I thought that I'd just make a little "mask" for her. My crop buddy suggested that I use her mini-butterfly punch for the mask shape. What a clever idea! I did so, used an exacto knife to cut out eyeholes, and then covered with german glass glitter. How lovely she turned out! I'm tempted to go back and do five more mini-masks for the remaining cards.

Speaking of card-making, a few weeks ago my family came into town for a cousin's wedding. The afternoon of the reception, after carefully wrapping the jumbo-size pancake griddle, I retreated to my studio for a few minutes to create a card to accompany. Because my Mom and my Grandma came in to "chat" with me while I worked (how do I concentrate?!), I was literally just "throwing" stuff together. I created this card in no more than 15 minutes, and was happily rewarded with how it turned out okay! Mom, obviously impressed with my ability to "whip something up" told me to make her a card, too! Apparently, she had completely forgotten to get a gift for the lovely couple. Now I would "save the day" by making a card she could stick some cash in. (Either she was truly impressed, or just too darn unwilling to get back in the car after the long drive here to go buy one!) See, that's the funny thing about doing something halfway decently well. People just love to get your "help"! :)

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-25T02:26:00.009-05:00

I always dress up Chance for each holiday! We don't have children to torture, so Chance gets the brunt of it, poor thing!

St. Patrick's Day was Tuesday 17, March this year. You know what that means. Everyone felt that was free license to party from Friday 13 through Tuesday. I'm sure there was plenty o' green beer flowing throughout the country. But, as you know, I don't drink, so I had to find other ways to celebrate the Irish!

Which got me thinking. What exactly is St. Patrick's Day all about anyway? All many of us know is that it's another "holiday" that has been commercialized into trivial trinket-buying and another opportunity to "eat, drink, and be merry." I decided to actually learn a little bit more about St. Patrick's day and its origins and meaning. After reading multiple articles on Wikipedia.com, here is a very brief synopsis:

St. Patrick was a boy, who at 16 was captured in his homeland of Wales and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he remained in captivity for 6 years. Later, after returning to his family, he had a self-proclaimed vision, which inspired his return to the people of Ireland as a Christian missionary. The remainder of his life appears to have been in evangelic service to the Irish, concluding with his death, which most believe to have been March 17, 460 A.D. Ergo, the date of St. Patrick's day we now celebrate. "Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God'..." Modern day celebrations include wearing green which most likely "...gained its prominence through the phrase 'the wearing of the green' meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing." Many US cities, as well as those throughout the world, participate in multi-day celebrations and parades. Increasingly more employ green dyes or other measures to demonstrate their respect for St. Patrick and his example of Christianity and missionary work. Chicago, Illinois is famous for dyeing their river green and even the White House's fountain water was dyed green this year to commemorate the occassion.

Still, the question remains unanswered, "Why do we pinch someone if not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day?" Though no one has an official answer, it is generally believed that it's to remind the offender (not wearing green) to honor the Emerald Isle (moniker for Ireland). (Pictures and info courtesy of Wikipedia.com.)

There you go. Now I understand what St. Patrick's Day is about and I can really get behind a holiday that celebrates Christian service!

This year I was lucky enough to hang with friends at Lochran's Pub in downtown Frisco for a large part of the afternoon on Saturday the 14th. The chips (fried potatoes) were great and the entertainment festive! They had different bands come and play both traditional folk and more modern Irish rock music. Additionally, there was a group of Irish dancers who performed many different Irish dances (think Riverdance with Michael Flatley.) Two of the performers (a little boy and girl) couldn't have been over 6 years old, and were cute as buttons! Still, they did much better dancing than I could ever attempt to do! Most of all, though, I just enjoyed hanging with my true-Irish-blood friend, Kathy, and her awesome mom, Mary! What a riot those two are! Great fun!

Here's a picture I made Lloyd take wearing Chance's hat. I told him I wasn't going to put it on my blog. Ha Ha! Sucker! This will be a test to see if he actually reads my blog! The laugh's on you, buddy!

ESTATE SALE

2009-03-22T10:44:00.103-05:00

I've been wanting to post about my first Estate Sale adventure for a couple of weeks now! But darn it all, between sleeping, creating, visiting with friends, and the occasional cleaning (and I use the term "cleaning" lightly), I just haven't had a chance!

Being so excited about this new-found passion for altered art, I decided that I needed to accumulate some vintage items to work with (Yeah, I need to "acquire" more stuff like a fat kid needs more cake!) And then it hit me: Estate Sales! Yippee!

I went to my trusty friend Google and within minutes had discovered 2 Estate Sales happening the next day in Dallas! While one promised to be "The Big One" and was my first stop, the second was WAY more intriguing.

The first house was just your normal everyday 2 story brick suburban home in Plano. I wondered "who had died"? Interestingly enough, I discovered that the lady who owned the home (and all it's overflowing contents within) had not passed away at all. According to the estate seller, she was just tired of this home and all her stuff. Decided she wanted to move and "start over again". She couldn't be bothered with selling all her stuff so had hired the Estate Sellers. The closets were full with brand new clothes with tags; there was even a bedroom upstairs where one whole wall was covered floor to ceiling with shoe boxes full of never worn or hardly worn pairs of shoes; the garage was packed with Christmas decor that had never been opened! There were 4 bedrooms, two living areas, 3 baths, a dining room, study, and garage full to the hilt with "stuff" that one single woman had accumulated. It was sensory overload! I had difficulty wrapping my head around the life this woman had lead. I can only imagine that she must have felt lonely and buying all these "things" helped stave off the emptiness.

Because most of the items at this home were not "vintage" or "antique", I only found a few pieces of "junk" jewelry that I could use for altered artwork.

Here are the pieces I found tucked away in an old drawer at the back.

I am most excited about this little "spoon ring" above! I've wanted one of these for a long time. I remember, as a little girl, always looking at the one my Grandma Carey wore and thinking how cool it was! Getting this whole little bag of goodies was great fun. Other than that, though, the only other thing I picked up was a gold-plated serving set from Sheffield (which needs major polish work!)

After this Estate Sale (which was my very first ever), I was kind of bummed. I had envisioned it to be different, somehow. The other sale I had mapped out was much further down in Dallas. Because of this first experience, I was talking myself out of venturing down to the other sale. But then, I thought, "No. I've made a plan to go to these two sales today, and that's what I'm going to do. Just because this one was a bust doesn't mean the other will be!" Boy, am I glad that I talked myself into going! I found many, many cherished treasures!

Gorgeous Hand-Embroidered Vintage Linens!

A Lovely Yellow Hand-Embroidered Vintage Pillowcase

Look! A Hand-Embroidered Napkin with my first initial!

Vintage Creme Tablecloth in Beautiful Condition

Vintage White Tablecloth in Pristine Condition

Sheer Vintage Scarves!

What a Find! This Vintage Geoffrey Beene COLLECTORS scarf!

More Vintage Linens, Pillowcases, and Doilies!

Love This Precious Little Children's Pillowcase

Look at the Little Angel Cherub Print! Soooo Sweet!

Speaking of things for little children...I found this tiny little infant dress at the back of the closet! It was handmade and was likely the baby dress of the deceased.

This pintucking in front is all hand-stitched! What patience and precision!

The Back.

More hand-gathering at the arms.

Notice even the tiniest detail--the pleating under the arm to allow full movement.

I also found not just one....but count 'em....FIVE adorable vintage hand-sewn aprons!
Red and White Gingham Check with Ric-a-rac edging!

Pocket Closeup

Cute "V" Apron with pockets!

Adorable pattern!

Loving this sheer white with blue flowers one!

Pocket in contrasting blue floral pattern.

Sheer makes it dainty!

There's always room for a pretty RED apron!

Welcome SPRING with this wonderful edging done around the flowers!

And this....this hostessing apron. Perfect for a dinner party!

When showing my Mom, can you believe what she said? *BLUSH* "Yes. I remember these! Can't you just see a young bride serving dinner to her new husband wearing this and nothing else?!" Oh my goodness, Mom! Please tell me that was just an IDEA...not an actual "memory" you just shared! :)

I found these tiny little ceramic birds. They were mixed in with a few other tiny little HOLLAND MOLD pieces (collectors items) so I snatched them up. For those of you who know me, I love miniature things, and these are just so adorable!

I also discovered two mini tea sets! Oh, how lovely! The first is a light robin's egg blue color with a white cameo on the tea pot and tiny white roses as the lid handles.

The second may very well be my FAVORITE find all day! It's an actual Blue Willow collectors tea set that is as tiny as can be! So dainty and devine!

I also found this little silver plated coaster set with filigree-style etching!

Some sweet vintage stationery still in the robin's egg blue box!

And here are the beautiful and authentic vintage pieces of jewelry I grabbed up before anyone else could! I won't even tell you the price I paid for them! I will treasure them!

And I hit the motherlode with one of the items I went out seeking: Vintage Lace! I got unbelievable yards and yards of these pretties!

As I continued to gather up these mulitple treasures, the ladies administering the estate sale started a "stack" for me at the front. One very helpful lady asked me, "Oh. You must be a dealer?!" It gave me pause. It was with a mix of both pride and new-found certainty that I responded, "Oh, no. I'm an artist!" This singular moment was a turning point in my life. It is the first time I have ever verbally referred to myself as an "artist". Though I've done artistic things my whole life, I never felt that I was actually worthy, if you will, of the title "artist". I'm coming to understand, however, that art is not something that can be categorized very simply into titles such as painter, sculptor, musician, etc. Artists are those who are attempting to live life through an everyday expression of creativity. I am doing that, and thereby qualify as an ARTIST.

THOUGHTS ON THIS ESTATE SALE

The listing for this sale had advertised, "Couple lived in this home for over 40 years..." I figured if they'd lived there over 40 years, SURELY I'd find SOMETHING worthwhile. I couldn't have been more pleased! Walking into that home was like walking back 30 years. From the decor to the "old people" smell that permeated, every one of my senses was carried into a past era. I spent 3 hours looking in every nook and cranny of that home for some unseen treasure. I was rewarded again and again for my diligence. Where others idly rummaged and passed by with a cursory glance, I spent time to "feel" what was there. It was a life-changing experience for me.

Where I had been looking for items, I found feelings. As I pulled out pair after pair of white long and short-sleeved gloves, I envisioned a woman in the 60's attending the infamous Dallas parade where Kennedy was shot. Finding a small pill-box hat with netting and flowers only further confirmed my vision. As I stood in this woman's room, amongst all her jewelry, handkerchiefs, and even underclothes, I couldn't process all the emotions that were stirring within. It took me days to process what I was feeling! I can't even now adequately describe everything I felt. But I do know this: I felt like I was intruding. I felt somewhat ashamed. Here I was, (amongst many others), sifting through this woman's belongings, casually discarding whatever I didn't "want". How callous! This poor lady hadn't even been deceased more than a few days and already we were rifling through her slips and underthings laid out on a makeshift plywoodboard table. A woman of such decorum would be mortified to have such a thing happen!

It's different when you go to an antique shop. Everything has been taken from the owner's home and put into a nice, neutral spot. Going to an estate sale of the recently departed is not at all what I had expected. The very ESSENCE of the deceased lingers pervasively. Though her body is gone, her spirit is still very much attached to those items and the home she dwelt in for over 40 years.

The scents and tactile objects reminded me SO much of my granmother who passed away just a few years ago. These are REAL people...who lived a REAL life. These are their THINGS. But, at the same time, I feel the odd paradox there: they are just THINGS. The person is gone, and these things that she spent her whole life accumulating mean nothing. In fact, they mean so little to even her children, that they have opted to sell them to the general public. It feels simultaneously tragic and sobering, nonetheless.

I spend too much time collecting "things": nice furniture, pretty dishes, special clothing. In the end, my things will end up on a makeshift plywood table in the garage, too, won't they? The general public will rifle through my slips and underclothing and discard them as things of naught. And, rightfully so. For after all, they are just things. Things don't matter. It's the people we've loved and the memories we've created that matter.

That's why we, as artists, work so hard to preserve these memories. We speak for those who have passed. Our voices mingle with theirs crying out from the dust, speaking what their voices have left unsaid through our work. Our art is more than just a bunch of pretty little objects put together. Through it, we seek to give tangibility to the nuances that are so difficult to capture and convey. It's a legacy of those who have gone before to remind those in the present and those to come of the intimacy of life lived: feelings and emotions and relationships, which mean everything.