Happy Halloween!

These are my boys in their costumes. Mike is George Bush, but a little different. He couldn't resist the cigar and I have totally lost the name of who it was we thought he looked more like than our President. He propped some pillows up in the chair one night and put the mask at the top with a quilt over the lap and an army hat and had it facing the bathroom door so I'd see it first thing in the morning. He got me. :)




Nick is Willy Wonka. He made his costume, basically. He used some of my acrylic paint to paint the goggles white. He's had them for a long time..just to wear...but painted them last week. He bought a hat that he thought was like Willy Wonka but realized it was the wrong color, too, so he turned it inside out and made a band for it out of the fabric he used....TO MAKE THE BLAZER! Yes, he made the blazer. Pattern? Nope. He didn't like anything he could buy so he had his dad take him to get fabric and he just made it. Isn't that amazing? It fits him so well. He won "best costume" at the Halloween party he attended Saturday night. Yay.

Reorganizing

Thread
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I felt like organizing and rearranging today. My craft area needed it the most and I had such a nice relaxing afternoon in there. I have found a great internet radio station if you like "muzak." http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/directory.cgi?genre=new%20age is where you'll find it. With the candles lit, the house clean and this music playing, I feel like I'm walking through one of those cozy little shops that sell pretty seasonal things. :) It's very nice background music; very soothing. Sorting through buttons and beads to this music has to be equal to a bunch of expensive therapy. It's almost like prayer. Maybe it is prayer.

Ok, so back to organizing. I started out this space by putting everything in jars because I thought it would look cool, like I'd seen in other craft space pictures, but I had a terrible time getting to things when I needed them. I also tend to drift with things. If I'm sewing, I might carry something into the bedroom to bead or embroider. Running back and forth to grab the right jars got a little tiresome. So I dumped all the beads into that lovely Victorian tin. Now I can just pick it up and take it with me. I took all the thread out of jars and put it in this handy little wooden box and it's right where I can get my hands on it beside the sewing machine...and the extra bobbins are in there, too.

I still have my seed beads in that little clear acrylic thing by the lamp. I've had that since high school. I think I got it for selling a certain amount of candy for choir or something. It has little birds and a heart on the lid. I've always loved it.

I made myself throw some things away and some things I just put in the general area of the next section that needs organized. My paper for collage is taking over so that needs worked on and I need to sort out my sewing basket and embroidery thread and needles. My needlebook isn't very handy. I think I need to make a better one. Oh yeah...and fabric. I've been storing my fabric in a bag (the one I bought from Deb) which was great when I wasn't actually using it that often and didn't have as much of it but now it's getting out of control. I need to sort it and stack it somehow.

Since last March, I've gone from a tin to a basket to a stack of picnic baskets to a bookshelf to a desk and now I'm branching out into the rest of the room in which the desk resides. I bet there's a name for this. Craft Kudzu or something. Artdzu.

I'm going to just post some random pictures I took after I got the desk arranged the way I wanted it. (It took me two hours, believe it or not) but before I do, I want to point out the ATCs on the desk. I was inspired by someone else who received one of Dot's atcs to display them in a special way. Dot's is on the candlestick in front of my nest collage. Colette's is resting on top of the collage under the wreath and there are three others who, for now, are propped up against the desk drawers on top of the roll-top. They are Daisy's Wizard of Oz, Dot's courage and Gemma's Cabaret and I am so happy to have them all. I plan to find a way to display the others in a more prominent way but for now they are right there to make me smile every time I look up from the sewing machine.

Reagan

Reagan
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

This is Reagan helping me out this morning. I wrapped one thing in tissue before she claimed the tissue for herself. It was quite an effort to get her to move so that I could wrap the other things.

I wonder where these things could be going? Hope you don't mind cat hair. :)

Peace

Peace
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

A Crock-o-Cat

A Crock-o-Cat
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I just moved this crock from the kitchen to my arts and crafts area last week. I have a few odds and ends in there...paper and felt and stuff. This morning as I was sitting at the desk sewing, Reagan reached her paw in and moved the paper that was lying across the crock so that she could jump in it. Then she just sat there looking at me. I had to take a picture and share it with you. She's a very nice sewing companion-when she's not being too ornery.

What was I sewing? I'm glad you asked. I was finishing up the trim on this little quiltie. I didn't really do any quilting so I guess it's really more of a fabric collage.

I was inspired by a C.S. Lewis quote. He can always settle my mind a bit. "We are what we believe we are" was the quote I liked last night so I chose an image to go with it and just kept going. I have a whole sheet of his quotes to play with. I chose them, saved them, reversed them, and then printed them onto iron-on paper so that whenever I want one I just have to cut it out, iron it on some muslin or something and sew it on. I may even just iron them all onto muslin so they'll be ready to be sewn on!

Tim and I ran out to ACMoore today but I didn't get anything. I walked around with clay for a while....I put that back and walked around with watercolor paper for a while....then we left. heee I still hear my mommy at all times "you don't NEED that Lisa." It's a helpful thing. I am going back for that watercolor paper when I have a coupon though. (grin)

I know this is a terrible picture but that's life. This is the sketch I did for the one minute challenge issued by miss Pamela.

She's missing one eyebrow; that infernal buzzer....

It was fun. I'll have to dress her up now. I'd like to do some sketches and do some DJPettit style fabric art stuff with them one of these days.

I haven't been in the mood for the past few days. You know how that is, so I've been cleaning and straightening instead.

I think the camera has a spot on it that needs cleaned. I always forget until I'm looking at the pictures. That spot beside her hair has been showing up on a lot of photos lately. The spot near her neck however is from lemon dill sauce that I made for the salmon patties tonight. I thought I got it wiped up. hee I was going to tell you where I got the recipe but I can't think of which blog it was from. I followed a bunch of art links today. I'll post the recipe some time. It was yummy. I'll have to track her down and thank her, whomever she was, some day.

Gotta love it

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. --Marie Curie Polish-French chemist

I just had to share this. I read it this morning on Brownies for Breakfast blog.

As my friend, Pam, likes to say: syn-crow-nicity.

Great mail day

TECH0016
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

Look what came in the mail for me today. Yay. I'm sorry some of the pics are so blurry. By the time I loaded them, Tim was home (a day early) and I didn't get a chance to take the pictures over.

These two ATCs are from Daisy and Gemma! I'm so excited to have them. It was as much fun seeing who they were from as it was opening the envelope in the first place. Miss Judi even decorated my envelope with pretty dragonflies and a lovely Judy Garland stamp! She put in some extra goodies, too, that I intend to put to good use.

Aren't the ATCs and the extra goodies great?

Then, as if that weren't enough, I got the mixed media painting piece that I ordered from Colette! I love it so much. It's already on my wall over the sink where I can see it when I walk in the kitchen door or do dishes..or cook. She also put in some extra goodies! I don't know why this one is so blurry but look, I have another ATC. :) I am getting quite a lovely collection.Colette also sent these beautiful postcards of one of her watercolor works.

Three gorgeous ATCs, a new piece of art for my kitchen, postcards, fabric, embellishments. Great mail day, wouldn't ya say? :)

I promise...there will be art

I have a separate blog for talking about my faith and the questions that it raises for me or the questions that it answers and I want to keep this one for every day life and crafts and artsy fun. However, with that said, I feel a bit embarrassed by one of my statements yesterday. I said that I didn't want my calling to be one of service. Well, as a Christian, that is indeed my calling. That is one of the few things in the Bible that is not up for interpretation. Jesus could not have said it any more clearly. I am not going to say that I didn't mean it. Oh, I meant it or at least, I meant that I didn't want to serve in quite the capacity in which I find myself. But, goodness knows, there's worse capacities and these people have tons of value and all that. I was just tired and whiny. I am so grateful to be surrounded, if at a distance, by such loving and compassionate friends. Thank you for letting me vent. This morning I remembered a church sign that Nick and I chuckled at a few weeks ago. It said "Some are willing to serve God, but only as advisors." Yep.."God, I think I would be better used in THIS way over here." lol Ok...done.

Let there be art. There has been a challenge issued. First, we have all copied a drawing by Violette and made her our own. This is my version. Simple and sweet. Ok. I was trying out my next new haircut I want. How's it look? Hmmm every few years I lose my mind and have my hair bobbed, as if my face has changed enough for it to look good. Insanity.

Then we were challenged by Pamala-la-la to do a quick drawing of her...real quick...one minute. I haven't tried that one yet but I probably will.

I finally bit the bullet last night and settled in with all my research and wrote the magazine article. Got it in a few hours before deadline. Yay. I hope it's well received. I have two more articles to edit today. Other than that, I don't really have any plans for the day. I'm thinking about taking a walk (or I'd love to run) but it's looking a little dark out there. We'll see.

I've made a couple of surprises that need to mailed off.
I worked on them over the weekend. So much love went into them. I learned from some of you that crafting and art is so much more satisfying when you're making something for someone you love. It's a whole different thing than making it for yourself. (although we should do that too)

Rambling

Do you ever feel like something radical is about to happen to you? Or, that it is happening at this moment but will go unrecognized for a while? I do not normally watch for signs or signals. I just go along day to day making the best decisions I know to make, doing my little necessaries and every now and then enjoying a quiet moment. I sew or cut and glue for pure joy and bliss. I write because I can and people pay me for it which still is cause for wonder.

BUT

Lately, my life is filled with coincidences...synchronicities that I am finding it difficult to dismiss. They are extraordinary to me. They come to me almost every time I am ready to give up on a bigger picture. Every time I begin to think that this (you know...this) is all there is, something happens that makes me think that it just can't be. Something happens to make me feel that life is orchestrated, not just random.

I'm not sure what to do with it. You've probably noticed that I haven't told you what the things were that happened. I think I'm afraid the magic will be gone if I voice them. For now, I'll keep them safe inside me but I desperately wanted to share that they're happening.

My heart feels like it is opening up and just as fast as I recognize and acknowledge that feeling, my mind rushes in to shut it down and protect it. A lifetime of hiding the real me. The me that is emotional and girly inside but determined not to show it on the outside. Still, I cannot deny that I am feeling emotional...in a very happy, loving, huge way.

Things are happening inside my heart and out in this big world things are happening that jive with it. So, what IS that? Is it real? Is it wishful thinking?

I don't know. The things that are happening seem to happen when I do something I feel absolutely compelled to do...as if someone had my arm and lead me while I just sort of went along. Like, for instance, going to the women's retreat..if you've known me anytime at all, you know what a really weird thing that is for me to volunteer to do. It was life changing for me. I haven't yet figured out how to make it an outward change exactly but it changed me inside. Maybe that's enough. Maybe I need to stop thinking that I'm supposed to DO something big with everything God gives me. Maybe my "calling" is to stop grinding my teeth everytime someone tries to talk to me in the middle of writing, which makes them feel bad. (but doesn't stop them, i might add) Maybe I'm thinking big when I'm just supposed to make iced tea for Tim's mom without her asking for it. Maybe I should....she is my biggest challenge. She is so needy, emotionally. If she doesn't get it from you freely, she gets it through guilt. She's passive aggressive and she knows how to work it. See? I feel guilty just typing that, yet I held back so much! I don't want my calling to have anything to do with her. I'm tired of being told to serve when I feel that's all I do all day, every day. Even when I'm creating something, I am on edge waiting for her to ask for the next thing (she is down the hall in her bed). I'm tired. I'm tired of serving. Please, someone, tell me that serving is not my calling...at least not serving her. I tell myself I'm serving Tim by caring for his mother and his son..but it's HER that I have to walk to the bathroom several times a day and it's HIM that I have to drive around. It's them I'm serving. It's not God. It's not Tim. It's these two people who make me want to scream that I am serving. It's so ironic and yet, there it is.

Well, maybe it's all a big joke...or maybe I'm being taught something that will help me serve in a bigger way later....or maybe I'm rationalizing away the part of my life I can't stand?

Gee, this started out so warm and fuzzy and positive and now here I am whining. You've just witnessed the cycle I go through several times a day. However, I didn't mean to go through it during this post. This is about the time one of those synchronistic (is that a word?) things happen that make the cycle start all over again.

Oh well...this is me and real, for better or worse by blogging friends..so I'm not going to delete. I'm just going to hit publish and trust.

Desire

Desire
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I've been working on this piece for a couple of days. I'm finally pretty happy with it, although it's out of my norm. I was just playing with textures. I painted the background and let it dry and then painted it again. I've been wanting to experiment with using an onion bag in a collage. I love the mesh and the idea of recycling so I mod podged the onion bag on and then randomly mod podged on a piece of embroidery floss. I actually did that before the painting. I wasn't even sure whether I would do something with the canvas vertical or horizontal. I decided to just do whatever came to me. I finally could see a woman's figure (albeit tiny) in the floss so I found a vintage head image I liked on flickr. I went through a number of them from magazines first. This one seemed right. I decided to do her dress from Elle magazine dress photos. As I was searching for more pictures, I ran across a piece of paper where I had jotted down the little quote about netted birds. Then I knew, for the first time, what I would do with the net part. I cut the little bird out of some lace and was going to tuck it under the mesh. Of course, the mesh just came loose so I peeled it off and LOVED the way it looked so just stuck the bird on top. When I had finally pretty much finished her, my younger son told me how neat my volcano was. heh So I decided I needed to add a little bit more...volcano NOT the look I was going for. lol He said it was the color and he was right..you can still see it if you think about it. I added a flower to her upper body and ran some pink and gold paint over the dress pieces on the bottom, which gave them a more cohesive look. I do love my choice for her hands. It took me forever...cutting out hands and trying them on her. On the model, these hands are actually out to her sides..like a cheerleader running but I thought she looked more demure and "oh no, I couldn't possibly...." this way. Finally I added the little bird on her shoulder. It sort of says that she hasn't quite abandoned her senses to desire yet. :)

It was fun and a little scary to not know where I was going with it. I think it really pushes us, though, to do things like this. It's the tightwad in me that made it scary. I didn't want to waste the canvas. lol

It's a beautiful sunny day with just a little chill in the air. A perfect October day. I may go for a walk later. My day is a little more open with Tim gone because I don't have to wake him and have his dinner ready by 4:30 in the afternoon. Nick needs to make a costume for a play he's in at school and I just happen to have a 50% off coupon for JoAnnes so we're going there later today. I know...a hardship. He also would like some canvases for some graffitti art he's working on so I suppose I'll just have to drag us to ACMoore too. I have a 40% off coupon for that dream place. :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Catch up with you later.


Edited to add: The quote is by Belva Plain. I actually meant to include it on the collage and totally left it off. Thanks "ME" for asking!

Outta Here

My baby just left for a trip. Send out lots of safe, happy thoughts and prayers, k?

Apron Art

Apron Art
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

Here's another. It's actually the third but I'm still working on the 2nd if that makes sense. I got stuck on it so I moved on to a third apron. I kind of like the way this one turned out.

I want to clarify that I'm only embellishing the aprons. I didn't make them. I picked them up at a church yard sale this past summer and have had them hanging in the front room on a coat rack to add a little color. Then I had this hair-brained scheme. :)

Here's a closeup.

Apron Love

Apron Love
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I got the idea last night to try fabric art on these aprons I had hanging around. I'm not completely thrilled with this one but I do love the idea. I didn't do the transfer correctly but I do think I'm on to something. I have a few more aprons so I'm going to play some more tonight.

A Walk on the Trail

I finally remembered my camera!

Look What I Got!

These wonderful ATCs are from the wonderful Dotee She makes the most beautiful things and I can't tell you how excited I am to get a close up view and to be able to hold them in my little old hands. My son pointed out that I look a tad maniacal in the photo. hehe I also love the tag that she included and it had the sweetest note on the back. Dot is such a giving person and very kind.

It was very rainy and chilly here today. I decided that it called for a big crock of vegetable soup so I started it early this morning and by evening it was so yummy. Soup is always better the next day but we'll never know about this batch because it got eaten up.

I forgot that Nick had rehearsal after school today so when he wasn't waiting for me after school, I remembered but wasn't sure how long he would be staying...so I went to Books-A-Million and browsed the art and craft magazines and books. So many bloggers have books. It's amazing. I thorougly enjoyed looking and was very inspired. I love that you can look at things like that and get your own completely different ideas. It just takes a spark. I finally called Nick's cell phone from the bookstore and found that he'd be a couple more hours, so I drove home and got some sewing done, which was lots of fun. Maybe I'll have something to show tomorrow...a new idea. :)

Maybe, I say, because tomorrow is date day and I also have two articles to edit for the magazine and turn in tomorrow. They were in my mailbox tonight when I checked.

I wrote two articles this morning and submitted them and one sold right away. That was a great way to start my day. I'm so happy to finally be in the mood to write again. I should write whether I'm in the mood or not but I don't usually unless I absolutely have to.

Thanks again Dot! You made this gal very happy.

Nite everyone.

My First Young Man

Isn't he handsome? Here he is with his pretty (and very sweet) date for Homecoming this past weekend.

A Walk In Pictures

I took a nice brisk walk on this gorgeous fall day. I walked for about an hour and took pictures as I went along. Here are a few of them.

Reminisce

Reminisce
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

The product of a lovely Saturday evening, listening to oldies on the radio and sewing.

Newest doll

Newest doll
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I made this little sweetie last night. She's resting in the wreath above my desk. She's sort of like a shelf-sitter with her wings. The wings are made from jewelry wire covered in tracing paper and mod podge. I painted and glittered them and stitched them to her...actually I stitched her to them as I made the wings first. I painted her face. She has beads and baubles and an embroidered heart. I was reaching for more thread and accidentally pulled out a little felt star that I'd cut out for something long ago, so I decided to stitch that on to her as well. I do live in the Star City of the South, y'know.

I get so much pleasure and satisfaction from making these little dolls. I fell in love with this one right away.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Mine is great; laid back. I got a lot of tidying done yesterday. Fall always motivates me a bit with its cool air and bright sunshine. I feel like cooking again, too. Last night I made pork chops with plum and pear sauce. It was so yummy. I got it from Rebecca I followed a link to her site yesterday morning and just had to try the recipe. We really liked it.

I'm going to go look at your blogs now. Catch ya later. :)

Dressing Table Update

These are pictures of my dressing table. I was inspired by Debbie.

It's hard to get pictures in this room.

I have the lamp in the chair trying to get a pic of what's on this side. It normally sits on the table, not in the chair.

There are so many trees at the windows that the room is very well shaded and dark. That's why I have the lamps on. Speaking of the lamps. Aren't they great? I got them for a buck a piece at a yard sale. The tall wooden tower thing is a jewelry box from my younger son. I think he got it at Bombay Company. He has very excellent tastes. :) It spirals out and has 4 or 5 compartments.

The little bottle is holding olive oil, which I use as facial moisturizer and lip gloss. I don't remember where I thrifted the little bottle, but I just noticed last week that it has an "L" no the bottom. I got the white floral cup from Goodwill and it has some earrings in it. The little birdhouse, placecard holder was a gift from a mom when I taught preschool, the leather case is for binoculars. I keep my deodorant, gel and a some lotion in it. The white vase was thrifted. The mirror was a gift, handmade by a friend of my ex-inlaws.

The dressing table, itself, belonged to my ex's mother. It was an antique when she bought it. When we divorced, he let me take it. I thought that was really nice of him. He didn't really have a place for it at the time and I will pass it on to the boys and their wives.

I got the little mirror (round above on the wall) at Goodwill, I think and I painted the butterflies.

Pay no attention to the contortionist in the background. Photographing with bad lighting is challenging.

True Balance-Third Chakra

I'm pretty excited about this chapter of the book. I actually read it before it was scheduled. I was having some problems with what I've always referred to as an ulcer. This happens when I am feeling overwhelmed or vulnerable. When those near me are especially emotional or emotive, I can feel a need to escape or flee and that isn't always possible. It's also a function of peri-menopause (peri=denial of actual menopause ha!). The feeling is this...imagine that you are getting ready to bungee jump or speak to a crowd...or imagine a large truck is coming toward you in your lane and you can't move. That's the horrible feeling I was having and it would make a spot right below my ribs hurt like..umm....alcohol in an open wound. I'm sorry if that's too graphic but I want you to understand fully the actual physical pain I was feeling.

It dawned on me one evening that the next chapter in the book just HAD to be the solar plexus and I knew that this would be the correct area for what I was feeling. I grabbed the book and read the chapter. Boy, did they ever nail it. I was having some real problems with my stepson and truthfully, I allowed him to intimidate me. I almost moved out because I could not imagine how I was going to continue living this way and I certainly couldn't ask Tim to throw his son out. I came to an exercise in the book in which she taught us to take a breath and imagine our solar plexus getting warm and growing. We were to continue doing this as we breathed rhythmically and allowed it to encompass us. This sort of imagery works very well for me. When I think of the Holy Spirit, I imagine this same sort of filling up and being surrounded. This gave me a lot of comfort but it didn't really make my stomach stop hurting.

She gave another exercise of doing the above but in our thoughts to picture the person who was intimidating us and then to get a good breath and sort of snort..meaning to forcefully blow air out and imagine this breath blowing that person out of our "space." I did this a couple of times and like magic, my stomach stopped hurting. I have had that feeling try to come back a time or two and I've started this breathing and didn't even have to get as far as picturing anyone and I was better. I have suffered off and on with an ulcer since I was in jr. high school. This is the first thing that's ever had this sort of instant cure. You can imagine how happy I am. So happy that I was able to be nice to Caleb and not avoid him and he is civil to me. That makes everyone happier and less tense.

This was a small piece of this chapter. It's really about knowing who you are and knowing that you are of value and that you are personally responsible for what happens to you. There is no reason to let someone intimidate you or to berate you. There is noone who has more right to their opinion than you have to yours.

It may sound like she wants us to get puffed up like a bird trying to fool its attacker, but that isn't it at all. Once you realize your own power, rather than make you more rigid, it actually softens you. There is no need to prove yourself and try to make yourself seem larger. When you realize your own power, you realize the power of others also and respect it. I think this is meekness that is spoken of by Jesus. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is recognizing your power and using it wisely and lovingly.

There is too much in this chapter for me to even touch on it all here. That's why it's so great that this group is reading together. We will each get different gifts from reading this one chapter..and this one book, and then we can share these gifts with each other and our families and neighbors.

I'm really happy to be taking this journey with so many wise and loving women. I feel richer already and we're only on chapter three. Imagine.

Bliss

Nest
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

Ahhhh, lookie what I did. :) I truly feel good about this one.

Hurry Home

Hurry Home
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

A couple of you, Sarah and "Me", mentioned that the something missing from this picture was balance. I've been working on it little by little since then to fix that. I'm really pleased with it now.

Here's a close up of some of the things I added.


Here's a pic of the before:

I've completed some work today. I've written and submitted a couple of articles, made the bed, started a load of laundry and painted a canvas I want to collage. I am about to head out on the porch with a (ok, another) big cup of hot coffee to edit a stack of articles for the next issue of Alternative Trends. After that? More laundry, dishes and playing with paint and paper. It's a good life.

Experiment

Experiment
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I didn't do much to blog about this weekend. This little lady is pretty much the only creative thing I did. I was a sloth. I watched movies and gained weight.

The sermon on Sunday morning was wonderful; full of grace and new beginnings. I'm ever grateful for grace and new beginnings.

A friend I've known and loved for, gosh, 20 years now called my name as I was leaving church yesterday and said she had discovered a new Lisa. She had seen GroggyFroggy and was surprised that I paint and stuff. That felt really good. She is an incredibly talented artist. She is one of my favorite people in the whole world and has been for as long as I've known her. My teenagers, even my stepson who doesn't really like anyone, loves Carolyn. She's a very loving person and makes people feel like they're just the most awesome thing going.

I really am surrounded by some pretty special people. I'm so happy that of all the churches I could have ended up in, I entered Raleigh Court all those years ago because someone thought I should be in the choir. I stay for a number of different reasons; not just choir, not just friends, not just the Pastor, not just the warmth of the most loving congregation I've ever known, not just the freedom to explore God through unconventional and perhaps unsettling questions....but all of these reasons. Sometimes one reason may have more weight than another but always there is a reason to stay, to get up on Sunday morning when I'd rather sleep.

DANGER...WARNING...DANGER ....my next post will probably be about the third chapter of True Balance, so for those of you who are offended that I'm reading and discussing it, there's your warning. I'll put it in the title so you don't have to even read the first sentence.

Have a great day everyone. The boys cleaned their room this weekend and I have a pile of laundry (clothes that we haven't seen in a year lol). That's what I'll be doing today...all day.

Captured Heart

Captured Heart
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I've been playing with this piece for the past couple of days. It isn't finished yet. I'm trimming the edges with some fun yarn. Maybe you can see it if you click on it. (that's my boot you to the right lol I'm so happy it's boot-wearing weather again) I'm also putting some beads around the edges as I sew the yarn on. I find it very soothing to just putter with the fabric. I love sewing the beads on. The little pearl ones (that look like rice) were really enjoyable.

I went to Nick's school this morning to talk with the principal. I've been trying to get her to call me for weeks. Apparently she is quite busy. Nick was enrolled in a college math course, but the first week he was so frustrated. It was almost painful for him. He said "mom, he was showing them how to get the lowest common denominator by using a pizza." Nick probably knew how to get the lcd by, oh, 2nd grade. lol if that late. So, he wants to drop the class. His teacher, who is also his physics teacher, agreed that this class was of no benefit to Nick. He doesn't want to substitute a class. He's a Senior and he has enough credits. He just wants to leave. They won't let him leave without a note from an employer because now Seniors are only supposed to leave if they have a job. But, under certain circumstances, like the parent saying , "hey, I want my kid to leave" in writing, the principal will sometimes reconsider...so that's what I did this morning, wrote a note and hopefully she will fix this all up. Otherwise, his absences (because I've been signing him out and picking him up) are going to make it look like he was skipping and he could get a failing grade..and that would really suck. So, keep your fingers crossed for us.

Tim went out to the store a couple of times yesterday. First time, he came back with a journal for me. Very pretty with leaves on the front. That's a first. The last time he came back with chocolate. yummy. We've been walking several mornings this week. It's such a pretty and peaceful place in the woods. We've both enjoyed it a lot and plan to continue. It's raining today so I don't think we're going to get to go. One of these mornings I'll remember my camera. Each morning, I've been a little less far away from the house when I remember it. lol Eventually I will remember before I shut the door. :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

This and That

I puttered around last night a bit but I've been fighting a cold and I am happy to report that I have won. It almost zapped me but then I was fine. Colloidal Silver and Vitamin C. Good stuff.

I played around but don't really have anything to show for it. I'm going to post something that I did a long time ago. I posted it on Craftster before I had a blog...and I also want to post my Mixed Media Memoirs piece. This week's thought was "I am Orange" referring to the second chapter in True Balance which speaks about the second chakra which is characterized by the color orange and, as I've already posted, has much to do with pleasure. This is a drawing that I did in bed right before I fell asleep. I didn't really think first. I just started drawing and this is what I ended up with. It's true though..I get the biggest kick out of swinging. I've done it a couple of times in parks this year and at first I felt so silly..a grown woman alone in a park, swinging. LOL But I think we could do away with a lot of therapy and xanax if more women would swing. (and I DO mean riding on that little chained thingy back and forth on the playground, not trading spouses). ;) Maybe kids are more aggressive today because they don't get to go out and swing and run and play like we did when we were children. They have nowhere to get rid of that excess emotion and energy. Try it sometime.






These other two pics are of a..hmm..I don't even know what to call it. It's a punch cup turned upside down, painted and trimmed with beads, fun fur and yarn for a braided ponytail. I can't really remember why I did it. Just looking for something to paint I guess. She sits on my bookshelf.

Today was date day. We did our usual. We went to Goodwill and I bought some packages of 5x7 art cards made for framing. 50cents a package with 4 sheets. Perfect for collaging. Some vintage looking stuff, too. I also got a thesaurus because I can't find mine. Oh, don't start. It's tiny. lol We went to Big Lots and I bought a ball of yarn and a hole punch. Then we went to A.C. Moore and-------are you sitting down?------I bought nothing! I know. Maybe I really am sick.

My first quiltie

My first quiltie
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I've been poring over quilties and textile arts and fiber arts. Some of you people and some who will never read this just absolutely amaze me.

Aside from just being blown away by the workmanship and the talent and skill and vision, I just love the pieces. They beg to be touched and looked at up close. One of my fondest desires is that I live long enough to some day produce a piece with that degree of perfection and beauty and skill.

In the meantime, I play! I have spent last evening and the better part of today sewing this little quiltie. It was really fun, like painting with fabric and thread. I'm not sure it's finished but if I add anything else it will be small.

Two of the things on it I got yesterday at Hancock Fabric. The birdie lace and the pearly trim were both 50% off. It was fun remembering I'd bought them and getting to add them to this.

It's just about 7.5" by 11". The piece with the girl on it was all there was. It's already quilted and everything but I wasn't happy with it so I stitched it to another piece and then quilted that. Remember, my machine knows one stitch --------------this one-------------so I got to do lots of turning back and forth and that was so much fun. I am easily entertained. LOL

Doll

Doll
Originally uploaded by GroggyFroggy.

I made this sleepy art doll last night and just finished sewing some additional beads on it a bit ago. Now that I have my pics on Flickr, here are the other collages I've been working on over the past few days.





This morning's sermon was about pleasure and joy and how much more we enjoy it when sharing it with others and about how we are the salt and when we share what we enjoy, especially Christ, we are being the salt. I was amazed at how this sermon seemed to tie in with my other thoughts and conversations this week. Life is really good right now. You ever just have those times when it feels like everything comes together, your physical life with your spiritual life? That it's all one big wonderful life? That's where I am at this moment in time and I'm loving it.