stuff

Well. I don't post often anymore. Hmm.
Busy with real life, yes? The eldest is
graduating, and that is taking some of my
brain, as is homeschooling the rest.

Algebra bites, still, even after all these
years, and there are two more coming up in
the ranks. Ugh. Fourteen is a hard enough
age as it is, but to add Algebra to the mix!
AAAIIIEEEEE!

Got to meet Julie's beautiful granddaughter,
and see Julie Oolie herself all the way from
Alaska. That was such a surreal thing, to be
standing there looking at her while she was
talking. I really wish we had gotten to know
each other better and spend more time together
while she was HERE! And she has some of the
most interesting friends. (I don't mean myself.)

Shakespeare ATC for swap-bot swap. I really like
how these turned out; printed on vellum, over
watercolor background, and torn paper script from
Prospero's speech at the end of The Tempest.
Which is one of my favorites.

bag swap and Mi Ranchito

Here's the cute bag for the tiny bag swap full
of goodies--my person is a knitter, so I hope
she likes her fiber and stuff.

Okay, Scott and I are becoming a little obsessed
with Mi Ranchito. It has the BEST Mexican food
EVER. (Sorry, Chelly's! Actually, Chelly's beans
and veggie quesadilla's still win out in those
departments.) We ate there yesterday for lunch,
and they were just barely slow in getting us set
up with menus and such, so they gave us free
espinaca dip.

I have a chip problem anyway (as in, chip-pig I am),
so that was bad. Didn't even eat half my lunch.
Couldn't even eat half the spindip. Everything
we've had so far is excellent. We were talking
about it again this morning. Seriously, we need
help . . .

altered book club

Went to a thing at Stamper's Ink today, thanks to
Kris (that girl is going to get me in trouble!), and
joined an altered book club.

Learned a cool and easy technique, worked on altering
some puzzle pieces, and generally visited and had a
good time. Once a month. I can do this. They're
working on round robin altered books, and then they
show-and-tell each month. Really pretty stuff!

The store is right up the street from our store, so
I'm sitting here at our shop using the road runner.
Wow, it's fast, compared to at home! Was hoping dear
husband would take me out to dinner, and it was
looking pretty good--close to closing, only one
person in the store--and then people started coming
in. As in, lots of people. Ugh. I'm hungry!

1x1 swap images site

http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/1x1.html

Look, I can't figure out how to insert the images.

Okay, yes, I click the spot and type in the site
and then it shows up in the draft and preview, but
not the published. So just cut and paste--it's
worth it, these are so fun!

I'm thinking about joining a fabric tag book swap.
It may be closed, but THAT would be fun . . .

1x1 swap site

Here's the web site with all the awesome 1x1
swaps on it--wow, they're so tiny. Angie
went to a lot of work with this swap, bless
her little heart!

Okay, apparently the "insert link" thing
doesn't like me, so cut and paste . . .
http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/1x1.html

swap-bot

Okay, this is part of why the
whole swap-bot thing is so
addictive. Lookat this
wonderful candle I got
today in the mail!
It was from Kristin in
Texas, and she made it
herself. In fact, she
has a home based business
making such candles.

I'll bet her house doesn't
smell like stinky boys and
dirty dogs . . .

Her website is
www.scenteddelights.com

I'm going to check it out! :)

I LOVE THIS FABRIC

I think I have a preoccupation problem with
this particular fabric. This bag is for a
swap-bot swap, something like "Anything I can
do," along those lines, anyway. Since I'm all
into sewing up these nifty bags of all shapes
and sizes, here it is. Well, there it was--it's
off in the mail today, along with some of that
wonderful rosemary/peppermint lip balm that the
brilliant Denise of Life Thyme Botanicals makes.
Okay, no, I didn't make the lip balm, but really,
don't you want to share the good things you know?

Seriously, look at the fence, and the flowers,
and the bits of gold here and there. This fabric
is so dreamy, I love it! Can't imagine drapes
from it, but it makes for a fantastic tote.

We're doing secret sisters in my Sunday School class,
and we're supposed to be secret for a whole year,
so it's killing me not to make something for my
girl! UGH! They would totally know it was me if
I sewed something, or altered something, or made a
candle, or soaps, or bath fizzies. *gritting of teeth!*
I think I'm going to just make stuff and set it aside,
and then have that be my last big good-bye,
reveal-it's-me gift.

Book Club

Several years ago a friend invited me to join her book club.
Bear in mind that pretty much the only books I'd read for
many years at this point in time were school related--either
mine, or for my children. Not a lot of new literature going
on in my world; pretty much nothing past the 18th century.

Thanks to Women On the Loose (the aptly named aforementioned
book club), I have since been introduced to many wonderful
and not-so-wonderful books, some of them actually written
by authors who are still alive! Some couldn't be classified as great
literature, but they sure are fun to read. I'm all in for a cheesy
mystery now and again.

But today I started Their Eyes Were Watching God. This book
has re-reminded me why I love reading. The language and imagery
is so rich and beautiful, I stop and re-read sentences just to savor
the sound of it in my head. It's a gorgeous book. Now, I'm only
about a quarter of the way through, so if it turns ugly on me, this
opinion may change. It immediately reminded me of Shakespeare,
just a different time period, and a different dialect.

Umm, and it's not a play.

NOT ONE OF THEM!!!

So I was reading a friend's daughter's blog, and
she said:
"i know there are people out there who are super women all the time,
including when they are pregnant, i guess im just not one of them."

YES, I say! I am NOT ONE OF THEM! I am proud to be
among those who freely and unashamedly sleep at night,
and wholeheartedly embrace an occasional nap. Since
when did doing 20 different things at once and going
all the time equate with self-worth, or validate your
spot on the planet?

Even Jesus took a nap when he got tired.

I'm NOT condoning outright laziness, just saying, for
cryin'out loud, people, take time to smell the roses.
Don't just plant them, prune them, paint a picture of
them, and then make soap from their petals! Okay, yes,
I did those, but what's it worth if we don't ENJOY them?
Like our children, they are only here for a season, yes?
Enjoy them, love them, spend time with them.
Them being the roses in your life.
Your loved ones.
Doing things that nurture your spirit.
Being still and knowing God.

Another bag . . .

Here's one of the three bags I just finished
from this fabric. They were recycled from
a dress of Mindy's--she said, "Here, make me
one of those bags!" So I did, and one for
Faith, and one for myself. A nice little
Valentine's Day something, yes? Faith's is
lined with pink, and has a very lovely pink
button from her Great-Grandma's stash.

I'm reading The Excellent Wife, by Martha
Peace, by the way, and it is fantastic. A
kick in the pants, maybe, but fantastic.
I love my husband!