One Crafty Mom and Two Ornery Kids

Cheryl Navalinsky Photography

2011-10-19T22:46:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have been reading you may have wondered where I have been... Well, I have started a new blog for my new photo business. I would LOVE if you went to Cheryl Navalinsky Photography: The Blog and poked around some. Let me know what you think and maybe follow me there. Although I am still going to be working on the crafty end of things my main focus will be on photography. I have realized that I truly do miss it. I may not have all the technical aspects down yet but I am getting my eye back and the cobwebs are clearing.
I want to love what I do and I love doing this. So if you have any friends close to Durham, NC send them my way!
If you are curious you can find my website Here.
I am also on Facebook. Just search for Cheryl Navalinsky Photography and don't forget to 'LIKE' my page.
Thanks!

When I Grow Up

2011-08-06T07:25:00.005-05:00

Here I am, 41 years old, and still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I've considered being a photographer and a writer since I was a little kid. I got my first camera when I was 7 and don't know if I have put one down since.
Writing has also been a favorite. In third grade I had a teacher, Mrs. Dennis, that would have us write short stories every week. She'd pick the best ones and the class would vote on their favorite. I almost always had one in the top three and even won first place a couple of times.
In the last couple of years I have discovered the world of Indy Crafting. I love to make things and the people I've met have been amazing. It makes me feel like one of the cool kids when I wander down the aisles at a craft show and know the amazing artists who are taking part.
So what's my problem? Obviously I want to do something creative. That seems to be my calling. My problem, as is the problem with a lot of creative people, is that I lack focus. I need to get myself trained to concentrate on one area and actually WORK on that one area. Any one have any tips for this?
What's the best way to make something a habit when you are busy and often don't know if you are coming or going? How do you create a private space for yourself AND convince the kiddos that you need them to stay out of your way for a bit? How do you work through the creatively dry times and not lose your momentum?
All suggestions are encouraged and will be VERY appreciated.

CH-CH-CHANGES...

2011-07-26T12:38:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy summer for the Navalinsky family. First we had to pack up our house in Arlington. We had been there for almost 7 years and had two kids while there so there was a lot of stuff! Dave had to leave in early May to head to the Illinois Shakespeare festival where he is the TD. The kids and I stayed behind while Clyde finished up school.Anyone want to buy a house in Texas?

Upon leaving Texas I went on a road trip with the kids to meet up with Dave in Il. We love our summers in Il. We have such great friends there and love the Bloomington/ Normal area. The Shakespeare festival is pretty darn cool as well.

Best Buds!

Also... Best Buds!

After 2 months in Il. we headed out again... This time WITH Dave to our new home in Durham, NC. Dave got a teaching job at the University of North Carolina in the theatre dept. It's a bit daunting to be in a new place but, as luck would have it, we have gotten closer to friends from our past! A friend from I was young (and much more hip) actually works on the UNC campus. A friend from the Illinois Shakespeare Festival has just moved to Winston-Salem to go to Grad school (Yay, Ashley!) Some of our best friends that we were almost inseparable from in Arlington for 3 years live only an hour away.
You would never know they had been separated for 4 years.

PLUS I was fortunate enough to meet a great woman named Ann on-line who helped me in my house hunt and happens to have a son the same age as Clyde who will be going to the same school. To make matters even BETTER some of my oldest, bestest friends from Ohio may be moving to Charlotte which is not that far at all when you compare it to the distance we had to travel to see them in Ohio. I really think this move was meant to be and am excited to see what it holds for all of us.

Clyde and Claudia in the kudzu.

Thursday Thirteen: 13 things I will miss about Texas.

2011-05-26T13:20:00.005-05:00

I thought it would be appropriate to do a list of things I will miss about the place I've called home for the last 7 years. Mind you... I am going to miss the people most of all but I figured that was a given so here are the other things in no particular order.

Each one is linked to the individual websites. Just click and you will be taken there.

1) The Fort Worth Stockyards

2) The Nasher

3) Key Elementary School

4) Etsy817

5) Arlington Early Childhood PTA

6) Funky Finds events

7) The amount of parks for the kiddos to play at

8) El Arroyo

9) The Fort Worth Zoo

10) The Dallas Zoo

11) Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas

12) The Fort Worth Children's Museum

13) Big Tex & The Texas State Fair

HOUSE FOR SALE!!!

2011-05-24T19:25:00.005-05:00

2614 Forest Ridge Ct.
Arlington, TX 76016

No secret. My House is for sale. It's a great house. More than a house... It's a home. It's the only home my two kids have ever really had. It's been there through holidays and parties. First steps and first days of school. This home holds so many memories. It's going to be hard to leave it but hopefully some other family will move in and make their own memories. Show it some love. Make it their home.

3 bedroom/ 2 Bath. 2 car garage. Privacy fence. Small herb garden. Close to Key Elementary School. 1500 sq. ft.

Open living room and dining room
is great for entertaining

Kitchen and dining area includes a pantry.

Master bedroom has plenty of room for king sized bed

Great back yard with storage building.

If you would like to see the listing click here----> http://bettyfry.com/listings/forest-ridge-ct-2614/listing.html

Or contact Betty Fry at (817)572-5500
Viewings by Appt. only.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!!

I've Missed This Blog

2011-05-23T13:27:00.006-05:00

I have been gone for a while. I went to a new blog and tried to focus on one aspect. It was way too stressful. I missed being here. i missed my bloggy friends that I met here. I missed my memes that I was a part of so I am back.There have been big changes happening here. The biggest is that, after 7 years, we are leaving Texas. My husband accepted a position at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. We will be Tar Heels! This is very exciting for us but also a little scary.
Both of our kids were born here and I have made so many great friends here. I am sad to leave all that behind. Thankfully there is Facebook and cell phones so no one will be far in that regard but still... Who will I call when I just need to get out of the house with Claudia? My moral support is going to be much farther away. I am going to miss my 'Mommy Friends' most of all. I have known some of these youngins all their lives. I am going to miss seeing them grow up in person.

Then there's work. I will have been with Barnes and Noble for TEN years this summer and the majority of that has been with this store. I work with a great group of people. They know me and are accustomed to my sarcasm and snide comments. Now I'll have to retrain a whole new group! Thankfully it seems I will be able to transfer so that is a plus.
In the past few months I have met a great group of local artists and have finally been feeling a part of the art community here. I am sad to be leaving them. They truly are a fun group of talented folks. Google Etsy817 to see what I mean!
On the plus side Chapel Hill seems VERY cool and more than a bit more liberal than good old Arlington, Texas. It is very much more a college town which is something I love. Nothing beats that feeling of community. There is also the promise of old architecture and bountiful trees and plants. This is more than a bit exciting to the photo bug in me.
My husband and I have both discovered that we have people from our pasts living in the area as well. Good people... Not scary exes or anything. I think that's going to help a lot. We also have some of our best friends living only an hour away in Greensboro. I am so excited to be able to see them and celebrate some holidays with them like we used to.
We will also be a much shorter trip to our families in Ohio. That's pretty cool. I have nieces and a nephew that I have never even met! I think the families are happy about this... More for the grandkids than Dave and I I'm sure.
All in all I believe that this is going to be a very positive experience for us. Yeah, I'm a little nervous. OK, A LOT nervous but this will be good for our family and I'm sure that I will meet even more fantastic people. That whole "Make new friends but keep the old" kinda thing.

In the meantime... Anybody want to buy a house? ;)

A New Blog

2010-11-20T10:31:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I have started a new craft blog called Funky & Feisty. You can find it here http://funkyfeisty.wordpress.com/ I hope that you will stop by and check it out.
This one will remain active but I wanted to start one with more of a focus.

Hope to see ya there!
Cheryl

Thursday 13: 13 Favorite Holiday Movies

2010-11-11T09:07:00.002-06:00

I've not done a Thursday 13 in a while so here goes. !3 of my Favorite Holiday Movies in no particular order.

1) Elf
2) Miracle on 34th Street(all versions)
3) Halloween Town (Totally cheesy but I love it!)
4) Nightmare Before Christmas (Does double duty and works for TWO holidays)
5) An American Christmas Carol (This one has Henry Winkler in it and is hard to find)
6) A Muppet Christmas Carol
7) Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas
8) The Bishop's Wife
9) All of the Santa Clause movies
10) Santa Baby (Don't judge me)
11) All of those classic Rankin bass specials ( I own them all but don't know if I would classify them as MOVIES)
12) Scrooged
13) Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Crafty Stuff

2010-11-10T08:13:00.007-06:00

I have a couple of craft fairs coming up. The next one is this Saturday. You can find the info above.

Here are some things that I'll have for sale at upcoming shows. Some of these are also available on etsy. Let me know if there is something you'd like.

This Ho Ho Ho Domino necklace is available on etsy

I love turning old cigar boxes into fun treasure boxes.
There are more pics of this on etsy

How do you REALLY feel about the season?
Bah Hum Bug on etsy.

And NO, I did not intend this as a Twitter reference...
I'm not that clever. :)

This is the first frame I did utilizing some wall paper sample books I received.
This one is also on etsy.

This is a great 4x6 frame for those who love to travel.

I love the whole robot thing. This is on etsy.

I will have more than this featured at my table. Please stop by and say hi! Also don't forget to 'LIKE' Funky & Feisty Home Decor and More on Facebook

New Items

2010-09-29T13:54:00.006-05:00

I have been working on some canvases. 'How TWEET it is' is 11x14. It's done with paper and Mod Podge and then embellished with ribbon, buttons, magnetic words and dimensional paint. I started this as a whim but had a lot of fun with it.

I was very excited when a friend asked me to make one for her little girl. That's how 'Luv Bugs' came about. My friend wanted something with lady bugs. This one is also paper on stretched canvas. I used acrylic paint, magnetic words and buttons to embellish it.

I am working on one titled 'Dance'. It is an 8 x 10 canvas featuring a purple and pink penguin in a tutu. Once it is finished it will be available at my etsy shop.

Most of you know that frames were where I started with this. I had a friend who commissioned a music theme framed from me for her daughter. I liked it so much I had to do another one that was similar. I was pretty happy with the results.

I am anxious to know what you think. Please feel free to comment!
I would also like to know if you would be interested in finding out about other arts and crafters out there that I run across.

Don't forget to visit my etsy shop which doesn't look like much now but I am working on it!

www.funkyfeisty.etsy.com

Sarah Zamora and the One Dollar Challenge

2010-09-10T11:30:00.003-05:00

So yesterday I listed my 13 favorite artists from CIB. shortly after that post I received a message on Facebook from one of those artists. Sarah Zamora received an email from a Bravo tv show called Work of Art. It's an exciting opportunity to get her art out there and win a big deal gallery show. As with most things in life the trip to New York costs money. This mom of two young kids is asking for help in raising that money. She doesn't want much... Just a dollar. She needs 500 people to donate $1 to her PayPal account.
Wouldn't it give you a warm feeling down in the pit of your stomach to help some one to possibly get discovered?

What is her art like?
Click HERE to view her amazing portfolio.

What is her story?
Click HERE to view her BIO and artist statement.

So how can you help?
Click HERE to view her video and to donate your dollar through PayPal

What happens when she reaches her goal?
Click HERE to view the web page to view the page for ArtLoveMagic, the non-profit organization she will be donating anything over the top to.

This is a great opportunity for Sarah Zamora and I hope you will take the time in the next couple of days to stop by her site and help her out.
Please feel free to post any words of encouragement here on this post and I will make sure she gets them.

Thursday 13: 13 of My Favorite Artists at the Cowtown Indie Bazaar

2010-09-09T13:37:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday my friend, Leslie, and I headed out for a kid free day at the Cowtown Indie Bazaar in Fort Worth Texas. It was great. We got there early enough to be amongst the first 50 people to get INCREDIBLE swag bags. This thing was stuffed full of jewelry, barrettes, smelly stuff... You name it. Since Leslie and I are both of the crafty ilk we were in heaven. I really wish I would have taken my camera but, alas, I did not. There were so many wonderful vendors there it was tough to narrow it down to 13. I did though... I hope you will click on each and check them out. Buying handmade is a wonderful way to support small businesses and find unique items for yourself and to give as gifts. Who knows? Maybe one of these folks will be the inspiration you need to go out and get Crafty!

Here we go...

1) Original Youth : I'm not sure what to say about Sarah Zamora's art work except that I am completely drawn to it. You need to check it out. Keep in mind that she also does custom work.

2) The Soap Addict : This stuff smells sooooo... good. I was fortunate enough to have a friend willing to give up one of her winning raflle tickets (Thanks Leslie) and with that I chose the gift bag from The Soap Addict. I got a Rosemary Mint bar of soap, a key lime lip balm and a lavendar Lotion Bar. mmmm... It smells great without being too perfumey and it moisturizes without leaving you greasey feeling.

3) Mama Dee's Boutique : She makes a giant crocheted octopus named Ollie and then takes pics of him to post on her Facebook page. Need I say more???

4) Krafty Munchkin Designs : One of the cutest business cards I have ever seen! She sells some wonderful little change purses too. I LOVE her monster bag but have never had the extra dough to allow myself the purchase. Everyone feel a little sorry for me for a sec... OK that's enough.

5) House of Smash : SO this guy was selling WAY cool cuff bracelets made from old vinyl records. YAY! for re-purposing. Not ony were the cuffs cool but then he shared a story about his daughter making a bear all by herself. You'll have to ask him about it. Gotta love a crafty dad. PLUS I noticed that his etsy shop features some way cool paintings.

6) Revel Designs : You moms out there need to check out this ladies re-usable sandwhich bags. Totally cute, especially when you realize that they have a piece of chalkboard cloth on them for little notes.

7) Childsplay Designs : She uses some really cool fabrics to make some way neat stuff. AND she was super sweet!

8) Joe Art : This guy's stuff is really cool. He uses found objects, cut paper, fiber, metal.... And it's all cool. I was really surprised to find out how reasonably priced he was as well.

9) ROBOT POP : I LOVE her stuff! My swag bag contained a pair of earrings made from pink heart erasers that she made. Woo Hoo! If you are into cute and funky you need to check her out.

10) Nerbomber : one word... 'meh'. Check out her site and you will see why. Very clever and cute.

11) Marge and Skully Designs : My pal Leslie won a custom quilt from Angela. I think we could have talked to her all day. She had so many great quilt designs. PLUS! She was wise enough to not put the backing on the quilt tops so that you can pick your own fun fabric for the back of one of her patchwork quilts... DOn't worry, she has fabrics for you to choose from.

12) Casey's Clutter : She made necklaces out of Fisher Price little people! She's a genius! Her stuff is so nostalgic you aren't going to be able to pick out just one piece to buy and you;re gonna need to buy something for your brother, your cousin and your best friend that grew up down the street!

13) Nixie Jane : What caught my eye the most with these ladies was their paper art. They are very textural (ooo... I guess that is a word since I didn't get the red underline!)

So please check these folks out. You can find even more crafters through etsy Fort Worth.

You can also see what my friend Leslie is up to at www.RuffleBottom.com . If you don't look at this stuff and say aww... there may be something wrong with you!

Wordless Wednesday: A Little Texas Rain

2010-09-01T08:19:00.001-05:00

Really? It's been a week???

2010-08-31T14:19:00.003-05:00

Wow, where has the time gone. I can't believe it's been a week since I posted! I'd love to say I've been cranking out all sorts of craft projects but in truth I just got one started. I am working on a collage piece on a canvas. I've not done that before. It's fun.
I am also signing on for another craft fair. This one is called Mom's Market and is sponsored by the Arlington Early Childhood PTA. It will be held on Saturday, October 9. Once I get some more info I will get it out to you. Plus... If you are interested in participating shoot me a message and I will pass it on to the correct people.
If you know of any craft events going on please feel free to share them!

As for now I will appease you with pictures of cute kids...

Hey Crafty Tuesday... It's been a while

2010-08-24T08:42:00.004-05:00

One of the things that is keeping me from posting is crafting. YAY! I have filled a couple special orders and am working on another. I'm also trying to build backstock for an up coming craft fair at Martin High School here in Arlington, TX in October. I am so excited to be making some extra money selling my stuff.
I recently received an order from a lady whose daughter received one of my boxes as a gift. It was so exciting to find that she liked what I did so much that she wanted to order more for some one else. I fell like Sally Field: "You like me, you really like me!"
Now all I have to do is get some pictures taken and get some stuff on Etsy and hope that works out for me. I have been doing Artfire but I really want to try to join up with the local etsy group. I am trying to be all about creating and networking right now. With the future of the book business heading digital I may need something to fall back on. My looks can only carry me for so long!

Here are a couple of special order frames I've done recently:

This is a frame a friend ordered for her adult daughter who is being given a cello and lessons for her birthday. I was really happy with this frame and I am making more along the same lines.

This frame is for a friend who has a cyclist boyfriend. I really like working with the bike parts but am running low. I have an idea for some other cycling frames. My husband is also a cyclist so there are often pieces parts floating around.

What have YOU been working on?

Thursday 13: 13 Favorite Television Shows

2010-08-19T07:45:00.003-05:00

First, let me apologize to all who stopped by last week and didn't get a return visit from me. It's been a crazy few days.

This is a list of 13 of my favorite television shows. They aren't in any particular order and I'm sure that I have had WAY more than 13 favorites in my lifetime.

1) Psych
2) Monk
3) Law and Order (all of them)
4) Project Runway
5) Bewitched
6) How to Look Good Naked (The BBC one with Gok Wan)
7) Andy Griffith
8) All in the Family
9) King of the Hill
10) NCIS
11) Let's Make a Deal
12) The Match Game
13) Love Boat

What are your favorites?

Check out other people's lists at Thursday 13.

Art Envy

2010-08-18T13:58:00.005-05:00

As I expand my circle of artst fartsy people I find that I start to have 'Art Envy'. I look at what everyone is doing. How much they're selling. The accolades they're getting and, although I am excited for them, I get a little jealous. I have little tantrums in my head. I want to sell more stuff. I want to win awards. I want people to seek me out.
This leads me to run out and look at all of the 'run your own craft business books'. I delve in and learn how to market. How to run my own craft show. What licenses I need. I try to figure out what I am doing wrong.
I get SOOOOO wrapped up in this I stop working. I stop making things. Hmmm, could this be what I am doing wrong? How am I supposed to sell things if I don't have anything to sell? How can I win awards if I don't enter contests? How can people know to seek me out if I'm not out there to be sought out?
It's time I stop feeling sorry for myself. It's time I pull myself up by my boot straps and get out there. It's time I get out the glue and the paper and start creating. If you don't hear from me for a while I may have glued myself to something. Watch for me. I am going to set up an etsy sight soon. I am going to bombard you with pictures of stuff that I'm doing. I am going to remind you over and over that I make custom items. If I don't... please free to call me out.
Off to glue I go...

Thursday 13: Pet Peeves

2010-08-12T08:35:00.004-05:00

Here are thirteen of my pet peeves in no particular order...

1) People who can't admit when they are wrong.
2) Smoking in the car with your kids in it.
3) Smoking around kids in general.
4) Kids not being restrained properly in a motor vehicle. I will dial 9-1-1 instantly if I'm in the passenger seat.
5) Drinking and driving.
6) Talking on the cell phone when you are being waited on.
7) Swearing in public. (this one bugs me much more now that I have kids)
8) People who mock others when those 'others' are within ear shot. It's not nice regardless but to do it when some one may hear you and get hurt really irks me.
9) Being asked questions when I'm on the phone.
10) The fact that ice cream makes me gain weight instead of lose it.
11) The fact that diet soda makes you crave sweets. What's that all about? Oh Diet Pepsi... Why have you forsaken me?
12) People who can take things OFF of a shelf but not return them to said shelf.
13) People who leave their kids unattended in the bookstore because they assume it's safe. ( I could come up with several pet peeve lists just from working retail... Hmmm... I guess I'l file that away for later.)

Don't forget to check out other Thursday 13 posts here http://thursday-13.com/

Growing Up is Hard to Do

2010-08-11T13:20:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back a friend asked me and a few others to share our stories about growing up on a blog that has been created to show kids that they are not alone.

I grew up a poor black child... Oh wait... That's not my story... Here is MY story.

I grew up in a stable Catholic family. I am the oldest of five. My parents are STILL married, to each other, after 41 years. We didn't have a lot of money but we never lacked anything.
I was a 'Drama Geek' in high school. I wore Chucks when people thought of them as clown shoes. I wore big clunky boots. I had parts of my head shaved. I was no where near cool enough to be a leading role in the 'punk/skate rat/new wave' scene where I grew up and I was a little to geeky and weird for the Student Council crowd. I had friends in all the circles but I tended to be closest to the most troubled kids.
I would wander around and find shoes and make sure no one left parties with anyone we didn't know if they'd been drinking. I'd hold hair back while my friends puked. I'd sit at parties and listen to the police scanner to make sure no one was headed our way. I had a friend who got mad at me for knowing more people at the mall than she did. I also had a friend who stopped talking to me because another friend had invited me some where and I hadn't asked if she could come along. I had friends who would run away and come to my house.
I lost friends to drugs. When I got older I had a friend following The Grateful Dead. I would get late night phone calls from her. She would be places like the hospital because half of her veins had collapsed from shooting up so much. Or she would share stories about how she had lost all of her clothes and wandered around all of the camps looking for a grilled cheese sandwich.
I lost friends to suicide. One of my closest friends in high school I had met while she was in the hospital with another friend after HIS first attempted suicide. She came to our school a few months later and we clicked. I would get notes passed to me about how she had been sitting out back with a gun but her step-dad had found her. She would tell me she wasn't taking her medication. She wanted my undivided attention. I wanted to give it.
All of this started to have it's toll on me. I worried. I enabled. Luckily I had parents who were wise and understanding. When a friend came to my house 'unexpectedly' from Chicago my parents called his parents and found out he had run away. They smoothed things over with his folks and talked to them about accepting my friend for who he was. They talked to my school about getting me counseling when a friend from another school killed himself.
I had stable friends as well. Friends who wanted to make something of themselves. Friends who let me be who I wanted to be. Friends who didn't expect me to drop everything for them if I was having a better time than they were.
I know that there are some of you out there. You aren't the troubled one but your friends are. You are the mom. The care-taker. The punching bag. You don't have to be. It's hard to learn that you can't save the world. It's also hard not too lose yourself while trying to save everyone. You know who the soul suckers in your life are. You don't have to abandon them completely. You just have to be able to step back and take a breath and do something for yourself. Listen to music. Write. Make some art. Hang out with people that you feel you can breathe around.
Keep your heart open and loving but be as open and loving with yourself as you are with others. If you have some one who is continually making you feel like crap maybe they need to go. I'm not trying to sound like a preachy adult. I am some one who has been there. I am forty years old and still trying to learn this lesson.

Thursday Thirteen: Favorite Books

2010-08-05T07:27:00.002-05:00

So last week I listed thirteen of my favorite kids books this week I've decided to go with thirteen of my favorite 'grown up' books. Here they are in no particular order...

1) Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
2) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
3) Water For Elephants by Sarah Gruen
4) Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
5) Blindness by Jose Saramago
6) Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
7) Geek Love by Katherine Dunne
8) Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes
9) Storm Front by Jim Butcher
10) Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
11) Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
12) Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen
13) A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

What are your favorites?

Wordless Wednesday: having Fun REGARDLESS of the Heat

2010-08-04T08:47:00.002-05:00

The Worm Hat

2010-08-02T08:08:00.003-05:00

My kids tend to be 'creative types' so I'm not sure why I was surprised when my husband took the kids off for balloon animals and my daughter came back with this...

I know what you're thinking but get your minds out of the gutter. It's a worm hat. My husband asked her three times and each time she said 'worm hat'. I'm just not sure that the guy had to make it from a flesh colored balloon.

My Lesbian Summer (Sort of)

2010-07-31T08:42:00.002-05:00

I may have mentioned my friend Lauren to you on occasion. We spent close to every waking moment together this summer. We even shared a booth at the Bloomington Farmer's Market. We began to notice that when we talked to people we were saying things like 'Between the two of us we have four kids' and 'When we were making lunch the other day...'. We had even started finishing each others sentences. We were rarely seen one without the other. A light clicked one day when we realized that some people probably thought we were a 'couple'.
It sort of became a running joke. People even tried to convince our husbands that if we were a couple then they probably were to. My husband's response to that was that they were just guys who liked lesbians. Whatever... We were cool with it. It didn't seem to bother the people who didn't know better. It didn't seem to bug our gay friends. Although my husband tried to convince our friend Louisa to start an 'anti-Cheryl-and-Lauren' group on Facebook to out our straightness...
Truth is... I LOVE my girlfriends with all my heart and if I ever had to Kate and Allie it I would soooo... live with Lauren but I like my husband. Most of the time. I think I rather like NOT knowing what's going on in his head half the time. I think I would be too catty in a relationship with another woman, especially at that time of the month and then there's that whole synchronizing of the cycles thing. TWO women on the same cycle can't always be a joyous thing...

Wordless Wednesday: In the Summertime

2010-07-28T00:25:00.001-05:00

Thursday 13- 13 Favorite Kids Books

2010-07-28T00:18:00.003-05:00

I am trying out a new MEME where I make a list of 13 things... ANY 13 things... on Thursdays. Here is my first go at it...

FAVORITE KIDS BOOKS (in no particular order)

1) Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell Illust. by David Catrow
2) Something Queer is Going on by Elizabeth Levy
3) Who's a Pest? by Crosby Bonsall
4) Free To Be You and Me by Marlo Thomas and Friends
5) Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
6) My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems
7) Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book by Lauren Child
8) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
9) Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
10) Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
11) True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
12) Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
13) Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

Living With a Princess

2010-07-27T00:41:00.003-05:00

So Claudia is creeping up on three. She tells me often that she is a princess. Her favorite color is pink. For the most part she's a good kid. She's funny. She's cute. She's creative. She's sneaky. She's way too smart for her own good. I know everybody thinks their kids are smart but I'm not talking about book smart I'm talking about 'Evil Genius' smart. She can lie without blinking an eye. She'll blame things on her big brother and, unless I've seen what's happened, I can never be sure. Clyde... Terrible liar. He smirks. He looks away. He almost always stammer as he begins a story about how his sister was being goofy and just happened to bump her head on the toy in his hand. The worst part is that my daughter has no fear of me. NONE. I yell. She laughs. I put her in time-out. She laughs and crawls away over and over again. I don't normally spank but when I do I want a reaction. Clyde would bawl if you tapped him ever so slightly on the leg. Claudia finds it humorous. I try to stay firm. I try to be strong. I try to look her in the face and tell her no but when I do I often get a face like this...
What's a mom to do?

Kindergarten

2010-07-24T08:53:00.002-05:00

In one month my little boy starts kindergarten. He is very excited. I am too. I almost feel like a bad mom because I am so excited to have my son out of the house for 7 1/2 hours five days a week. I have my anxious moments but they are few. Clyde is a social kid who learns much better from other people than he does his mom. When I try to teach him something it's too hard and he can't remember things from one minute to the next. His pre-school teacher says he's a joy and ready to learn. Kudos to those of you who are able to successfully homeschool. I don't think I'm cut out for it.
I worry that when he gets to school people are going to expect more from him because he's a tall kid. I worry that he'll never learn to hold his pencil correctly. I worry that the other kids will learn to read and he'll still be trying to learn his letters. I worry that he'll get his feelings hurt.
On the plus side going down to one kid during the day sort of seems like a blessing. I may get something done. Maybe I'll be able to get some crafting done and get some stuff sold. Maybe I'll be able to keep the house clean... That's sort of a pipe dream. I know damn well that I am no Martha Stewart.
Either way we will be starting a new era. I think we're all ready for it. I just hope the school is!

What a Great Summer

2010-07-23T08:12:00.007-05:00

So sorry that it's been a while. I've been busy with the Farmer's Market and with moving back to Texas. This has been a crazy busy summer but I wouldn't have changed much about it. I may have placed some kids in individual plastic bubbles from time to time but other than that it was pretty amazing.

I had a great time working with Lauren. She is so organized and has so many awesome ideas that it really inspired me. If you haven't checked out her way cool stuff you need to. http://lmlowel.etsy.com Plus you can check out our joint Facebook page under Funky & Feisty and loved again.

The Farmer's Market was a truly incredible experience. Sure there were days when I barely broke even but I almost always at LEAST broke even. Babysitters were probably my biggest expense. I met wonderful people and got to talk... A LOT!

There was Sarah AKA Hula Hoop girl who makes and decorates her own hula hoops. I now have one and have been trying to learn how to use it. It's tons of fun and I swear that one day I will get the hang of it. You can find her on Facebook at htt p://www.facebook.com/SarahLousCustomHoops Ya know ya wanna...

Sarah hared a space with her brother CJ who is an incredible photographer. You can check him out here http://cjzimmerman.carbonmade.com/ I hope you do check out his stuff. I really liked it and I'm picky. ;)

Then there were the Medici girls and all their delicious bread. I will miss that bread but if you are in the Bloomington/Normal area you can find them at the Farmer's Market. You can also visit the wonderfully tasty Medici restaurant and Bakery in Uptown Normal.

Not at the Farmer's Market but equally amazing is The Zoo Lady. She is an INCREDIBLE face painter. The kids begged for their faces to be painted whenever she was near. Of course I gave in.

I also had a chance to meet Emily Busha who makes the cutest ever PJs and library bags you've ever seen. She dyes her own shirts and then creates great designs for them using freezer paper. I swear the girl must never drink caffeine! The library bags are sturdy... We've tested ours out... retro cool and have two pockets inside; one for your library card and one for Change for your library fines. You can check out her blog which has a link to her etsy shop that I think is empty right now... Work on that Emily! ;) http://apronwings.typepad.com/apron_wings/

I also got to meet Monica Innis. She makes beautiful jewelry. She uses great colors and everything is unique. I don't think my descriptions can do her work justice but you can check out her etsy shop http://www.innisms.etsy.com and see for yourself!

I am going to miss all of this about IL but I will be back next summer and will hopefully have bigger and better things planned.
Please at least give these folks a nod. They all work really hard to create some really fun and amazing things. They wouldn't be on here if I didn't really respect them and what they do!

Friendship

2010-06-24T15:42:00.004-05:00

There is something to be said for the friendships that kids form. They go at them full on. They love each other to pieces and then fight like old married couples. They take. They give. They whine. They laugh. They pinch. They hug. They tattle. They share secrets. The beauty of all this is that come tomorrow, all the bad stuff is forgotten and the friendship is still there.
When do we lose that?

You like me, You really like me...

2010-06-16T23:02:00.001-05:00

Hey... I won an award. I wasn't even sure if people were really paying attention but apparently Nicole at My Mad World liked something she saw. Thank you so much Nicole. I really appreciate it. Please stop by and check her blog out.
The award comes with some rules. They are:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Tell seven things about yourself (yeah this will be the hardest for me)
3. Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
4. Let them know you have awarded them the prize.

OK... Here are my seven things:

1) I still have dreams of being a published author. The hardest part of all of that is that I actually have to sit down and put that pesky novel that's floating around in my head on paper.
2) I would really like to go back to school but am a bit nervous about it.
3) I am LOVING living the life of a crafter this summer.
4) I love my kids but am VERY excited that my five-year-old is going to kindergarten in the fall.
5) I firmly believe that Diet Pepsi is the nectar of the gods.
6) My kids are never going to even NOTICE the paparazzi when they are famous... It would be stranger for them NOT to have a camera in their face.
7) I grew up in a functional family. My parents are still married to each other and I actually like my siblings.

And now for my fifteen favorite versatile bloggers. Here they are in no particular order:

1) Dawn at 'DAWNING"
2) Charlene at "Adventures-in-Mommy-Land"
3) Elizabeth at "More Than a Mom"
4) Dorkys Ramos at "Dry as Toast"
5) Tracie at "From Tracie"
6) Lisa at "Just Lisa, No Filler"
7) Stephanie Lynn at "Under the Table Dreaming"
8) James at "Luke I am Your Father"
9) Jen at "New Green Mama"
10) Janis at "Sneak Peek at Me"
11) Pamela at "Too Much Testosterone"
12) June Freakin' Cleaver at "The Ratio of Failures"
13) Christina at "Momology"
14) Em at "Emcogneato"
15) Crystal at "Autisms Bitch"

Please stop by these blogs to see why I like them so much. Now I have to tell everyone that they've won... This is truly the longest I have taken on any blog. My head is tired.

Wordless Wednesday: Really Cool Picture of a Bird

2010-06-16T07:59:00.003-05:00

Don't forget to check out more Wordless Wednesday stuff at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome

Crafty Tuesday: Lately Crafty MOST Days

2010-06-08T07:44:00.003-05:00

Puppy Love

Robot Fun

Girly Bird

These are just a few of the things I have been working on. They will be added to my ArtFire page as soon as I get some time.

FunkyFeisty's ArtFire Studio

I LOVE what I'm doing

2010-06-06T15:43:00.003-05:00

I am absolutely loving what I'm doing this summer. I love making stuff and I really dig going to the Farmers' Market. It could be that it gives me a few hours away from the rugrats. It could be that I get to hang out with a great friend for hours at a time. It could be the really cool people (and pooches) I meet there. It could be the praise I get for the stuff I make (who doesn't like a little ego massage from time to time?). It could be all of these things together. I just know that I am loving it and honestly think I have found my calling.
Truth be told, I am a bit nervous that I will slack once I get back to my real life in Texas. I also wonder if I will lose an audience without the loved again... stuff right next to me. I wonder if there is a possibility that I may be able to eventually cut hours at work and still have enough money coming in. I wonder if I should expand my repertoire by including furniture and found objects. I wonder if there is a way to make the little building behind my Texas house a studio of sorts. I wonder if I will have more time to do this with one kid going to kindergarten next year. I wonder if any of you have any unique gift needs... Is that a subtle enough hint? ;)
I wonder all of these things but don't really get a knot in my stomach. I get excited. I almost get giddy. I am curious and anxious to see where all of this leads. I will keep you posted.

Wordless Thursday: Can't make this stuff up!

2010-06-03T08:32:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: Take My Picture Mom!

2010-06-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

Crafty Tuesday: Duped?

2010-06-01T08:10:00.005-05:00

So for this week's Crafty Tuesday I thought I would share with you the tales of a recent 'Renaissance Festival/ Craft Fair' that I recently took part in. Lauren had been invited to take part in the show when she was at another show. All the paper work sounded great. We had mistakenly signed up for an area called 'Mystic Moments'. The booth fee was cheaper but it seemed that the area was designated as a kids make and take section. Lauren explained that we were not a make and take table so they upgraded us, at no extra cost, to 'Equine Lane'. Cool. All the paper work explained that we would be listed in the advertising and promotions. Cool. There was a horse show there which sounded really cool.
Day of show. We get our sitters to the house... Not without incident but that's another rant for another day. We head out. Of course we pass up the place but not by far. We pull in and are told that we need to park and lug our stuff. The info had stated that we could park and unload right at our booth. Luckily it wasn't that far and they had provided a table so we didn't have to carry that. We get a good chunk of our stuff unloaded when we are told that we CAN drive to our booth and then park. They have box lunches waiting for us which is nice.
Set up started at 8:30. They wanted vendors ready at 11:30 for a noon opening. We were ready. Some people had gotten there at 8:30 but we had arrived around 11. A look around showed us nine other vendors... If you counted the the face painter (who was awesome!), the story teller (also awesome), the nurse who was there with a table promoting healthy eating (and yes they had to pay a $50 booth fee for the 2 days they had been there) and the people set up with hats and shirts promoting Raspberry Grove Equestrian Center which, in fact is in some one's backyard. It's beaultiful and they do train riders and apparently board horses. We were VERY glad to have only paid $25 for our spot. We were also VERY glad for our newly purchased 'tent' which was envied by the other vendors. It was hot and sticky. The flies were biting but I guess I wasn't tasty enough because they didn't bother me. The gates opened and we waited. And we waited. We became social and started chatting with other vendors and still... we waited. The 'show' itself didn't start until 4. The hope was that the crowd would come in about 3ish. They had done this on another Saturday a couple weeks prior. It had rained but we received an email that said that 200 people had wandered through. Well... Apparently that was a BIG estimate acorrding to the vendors who had been there the other week. They guessed closer to 75. That turned out to be a pipe dream for the Saturday we were there. The people who did come weren't really interested in our wares. We did sell some stuff but to other vendors. As far as that goes we met some great people and had time away from our kids. The vendors weren't supposed to tear down until 6:30 but we were all packed up once the intermission was over. Not sure if the owner even noticed since she never came around to see how we were doing...
I have mixed feelings because I did make a little money but I can't believe the booth fees they were charging for people to set up. PLUS they charged for people to come in. Oh well. Guess we won't be doing that one next year...

loved again...

2010-05-27T08:05:00.006-05:00

So I've been tellin' ya about loved again but I thought I'd show ya a couple of things. Lauren is an amazing seamstress. If you like what you see check out her etsy store at http://lmlowell.etsy.com

The dark spot on the one doll's face is from Claudia kisses. Kids really do love these 'Kids'.

Wordless Wednesday: Bringing Up the Rear

2010-05-26T07:21:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to check out more Wordless Wednesday posts at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com

It's Crafty Tuesday!

2010-05-25T08:14:00.003-05:00

I've been pretty crafty as of late. These are some of the boxes that I've made. I am actually going to craft some more today... and tomorrow... and the next day. I think I'm a junky! ;)

Let me know what you think!

Funky & Feisty and loved again...

2010-05-24T11:38:00.008-05:00

So Lauren and I had our first 'joint craft gig' this past Saturday at the Farmer's Market in Bloomington, IL. We were prepared thanks to help from the book 'Crafty Superstar' http://www.gracedobush.com/craftysuperstar/ . I was nervous as heck the night before. I want our joint little business venture to be successful. I want people to like the stuff I make as much as I like to make it. I have been having so much fun these last couple of weeks making things in a room with Lauren while the kids played and fought in the other. I want an excuse to keep it up!
I got up at 5am the morning of and got ready. I packed the kids in the car still in their jammies to take them to Lauren's house. We had gotten a sitter for the day. Heck, if nothing else, we had a day together without the little ones. That may be worth the effort on it's own. We packed up the mini-van and headed out.
A nice man pointed us in the direction we needed to go. Of course the way was blocked by the tent of a very grumpy lady who seemed to think we were putting her out by trying to squeeze by. I know... I'll let it go. We found our number, #52, on the sidewalk and set up camp. At first it looked like we might be out of our league... everyone had canopies, we did not. We weren't ready for that investment yet. Once everything got put in it's place I think we looked like we knew what we were doing. It's nice to be able to fool people every once in a while.
The bell rang and people were shopping. Lauren sold two dresses right off the bat. I will have to get some pics so that you can see why! Of course you can go to her etsy shop at http://www.lmlowel.etsy.com and see for yourself.
The day was great. We sold stuff... Lauren was the big winner in that department... talked to a lot of people and had a great time.
All of my anxiety seemed to melt away after my first sale. I made enough to break even which is better than losing money. We got about 30 names on our mailing list and we had people asking about special orders and wondering when we would be back again... If you're wondering we'll be there every other Saturday!
You can check out my artfire site at http://FunkyFeisty.artfire.com
If you are on Face Book check out our fan site at http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/pages/Funky-Feisty-and-loved-again/124439284250355?ref=ts

Wordless Wednesday: Like Mother; Like Son

2010-05-19T16:38:00.003-05:00

Crafty Tuesday on Wednesday

2010-05-19T08:25:00.003-05:00

Sorry I'm late on this but I have been crafting my heart out that last little bit. Lauren and I have our first Farmer's Market gig on Saturday. Thank goodness for Lauren and her innovation. She came up with a swell stamp idea for our bags. Who knew you could this with carpet tape and foam letters? Ingenious. I can't wait to show you guys the great display she has come up with for our booth. I feel like such a slacker. I can't even come up with a bio for myself! I am busy making frames and boxes though. Hopefully something will sell. I will take some pictures of her incredible things and share them here as well. I love them all and can feel my envy of her talent growing with everything she makes! Curses on those with cutes and talent! ;)

The Crafty Life

2010-05-14T15:06:00.004-05:00

So things are looking up in my little crafting corner. My friend Lauren and I are working together to do some craft events this summer. I am very excited.

Lauren does some amazing 'up-cycling' (that's the hip lingo for re-purposing which was the hip lingo for recycling). She makes clothes and rag dolls from old clothes. She's been working on some really cool headbands and scarfs from old t-shirts. You can see some of her stuff at her etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/lmlowel I'm not sure it's been updated in a while but if you like her stuff and want to see more just let me know. I get to work in her studio (which is a fancy name for extra room that you can leave your crap out in without it bothering anybody) with her this summer. I can't believe the stuff she comes up with! I'm in awe and feeling a bit out of my league.

We have been chosen to have a booth in the 'Artists Alley' of the Downtown Bloomington Farmers' Market. http://www.downtownbloomington.org/index.php?id=6

We will also have a booth at the Raspberry Grove Equestrian Center MayFest Renaissance Fair on May 29. Now there's a mouthful for ya. http://www.equi-coach.com/center/mayfest/mayfest.htm

Another thing we're looking into is having our own open house and inviting other local artists to participate. That's still very much in the works though.

I really hope that this summer boosts up my 'Crafty Confidence' and motivates me enough to open my own etsy store. THEN I hope to get into etsy Fort Worth. http://www.etsyfortworth.com/
I would love for this to be the summer I really find my groove in the craft world... Of course working so closely with some one who sews makes me wish I had room for a sewing machine... Baby steps Cheryl... Baby Steps.

Wordless Wednesday: The Next Matilda Jane Cover Models

2010-05-12T09:50:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: Hose + Girl = Fun

2010-05-05T07:53:00.001-05:00

I Really Like Hockey But...

2010-05-03T14:22:00.002-05:00

I like hockey. Especially live games. I'm the person rooting for a fight. I think it's fun. It's not my usual M.O. As a rule I don't like my kids playing violent games or pretending to shoot each other. I don't like boxing, AT ALL, but a good hockey brawl can bring me to my feet.
Now watching it on TV at home is another story. It's OK but I prefer to be there. I sorta start to dread Stanley Cup Playoffs. I always know what we'll ne watching and it ain't GLEE.
We're Red Wings fans. We had a car when we lived in Cleveland that only received AM stations and one of those was from Detroit. My husband is a much bigger fan than I am. If the Wings get to the play offs I'm happy for them. It's fun to see how they do. I just can't sit there and yell at the screen or anything. The husband can. He doesn't yell through the whole thing so when he let's out with a shout, be it positive or negative, it's sort of startling. If they win, I'm happy. If they lose I'm much more of a pouty lip, feel sorry for the team sort of loser. I don't 'get' getting all upset and letting it ruin my day. How does it truly effect me one way or the other?
I don't bet (unless I'm in Vegas or Tunica). I'm not related to any one on the team. Heck, I'm not even from Detroit.
I dunno. Maybe I'm not a 'true' fan. It should be over soon... Of course The Tour de France is on it's way and I am married to a cyclist but that's a blog for another day...

I Love Books

2010-04-29T15:23:00.004-05:00

I love books. This comes as no surprise to most. I especially love children's books. I thought that I would share a few of my favorites with you here today. If you prefer sappy books for kids keep in mind that I really don't like 'Love You Forever' so if that's what you're looking for ya ain't gonna find it. ;)

First up I LOVE Lauren Child. She's the brain-trust behind Charlie and Lola. She does however have several other books and characters for a range of age levels. One of my personal favorites is:

Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Book

In this book Herb, who has not been kind to his books, falls asleep and falls into a book of fairy tales. The queens and princess are not happy with him since he drew mustaches on all of them. There is a missing prince, a hole through a page and phones in every room. Herb has to get out before Goldilocks annoys the daylights out of him. It's very clever and funny. I could read it again and again.
To check out more about Lauren Child go to her official website: http://www.milkmonitor.com/main.htm

I also adore the illustrator David Catrow. If you've ever seen one of his books his style will always be recognizable. One of my favorite books illustrated by him is:

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon
by Patty Lovell

In this book Molly gets picked on by the class bully but she just remembers Grandma's advice and everything turns out OK. It's cute and I love Molly!
You can check out his website at: http://www.catrow.com/

I was going to share more but my own little people are hollering for attention. I will post more. I'd love to hear what your faves are!

Wordless Wednesday: Ladybug Bliss

2010-04-28T07:46:00.001-05:00

Please go check out MORE Wordless Wednesday participants at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com

Crafty Tuesday: A Fab-Tabulous Craft-Tastic Swap!

2010-04-27T13:43:00.003-05:00

One of the members of my Face Book craft group Craft-Tacular put together a really cool swap. Anyone who wanted to participate filled out a simple questionnaire about the types of crafts we like, things we don't like, even whether or not we live in a smoking household. After that we were paired up with a top secret swap partner. Our job was to fill up a gallon size storage bag with goodies from our own craft arsenal, some sort of treat and a card or note. We had a set date as to when we had to send these off by. It was fun. Above you can see the loot that I received. It was like Christmas all over again! And YES that is a pair of super-sized foam sunglasses along with water balloons.
I encourage all of you crafty types to either pair up or get together in a group and do this. It's fun to get surprises in the mail.

If you're on FabeBook and would like to join Craft-Tacular please do so. We will hopefully have more fun things to do soon!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=274128252197

NOOK Review

2010-04-26T18:30:00.002-05:00

I don't ever really review products... Especially not tech gadgets but I just need to share that I think that Barnes and Noble's NOOK is way cool. Now, I will say up front that I work for Barnes and Noble. This is probably the only way I know about such things as E-readers and such. The other day at work I had to stand at the NOOK nook and talk to people about this for 3 and 1/2 hours. In that time I also got to play with it. It was cool. It goes on-line. You can sample books on it. You can get books like Margret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale for like $3.50. You can get picture books like Curious George Goes Camping on it... and YES you can see the pictures. I even found some crafting titles in the e-library. I read parts of the Chicago Tribule and the NY Times Book Review. You can even play games like chess and Sudoku on it now. Both of these are too smart for me but I'm sure some one will enjoy them. You can even download (upload?) MP3s to it.
The only thing I had a bit of trouble with was navigating through my FaceBook page using the touch screen at the bottom. Keep in mind that I am 'text challenged' so I'm sure it won't cause a problem for most people AND I had to keep stopping to share info with customers. As I used it more it did get easier.
So I just had to share that I really do think this is pretty cool. If I had the extra cash I would have one. If you have a Barnes and Noble near you stop in and see if they have one you can play with. I think I'm OK with it if this is the wave of the future... Did I just say that?

How did this happen?

2010-04-24T15:23:00.002-05:00

Not sure how this happened but I have a 'girlie-girl'. She loves all things princess and ballerina. She serves coffee and cake from her kitchen. The other night the boys were gone so we watched the Madonna Glee. She made me rewind it so that we could listen to all the songs again. She ran around in a princess dress repeating over and over 'This is my princess song'. I'm not 100% sure how Madonna would feel about that but I was amused.

Later that night I painted my nails while she took a bath. She was mesmerized. She does not have a mommy who does girlie things for herself too often. She wanted hers done. After she was out of the tub and dried I gave her her first mini-mani. I was convinced she would last about five seconds but the whole time she sat very still looking up at me from time to time to say 'This is perfect for me'. She was sooo proud of her nails. Even the next morning she looked at them first thing and said 'I like it'.

Last night Daddy took her and her brother to see UT Arlington's Theatre Dept. perform 'My Emperor's New Clothes'. She had seen a rehearsal and insisted on wearing one of her princess skirts since the girl's in the play wear them. Apparently she sat on the edge of her seat and took it all in.

Don't get me wrong... She's still a clown albeit a PRINCESS clown and I love her all the more for it.

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night: Another foray into the world of fiction

2010-04-22T14:11:00.001-05:00

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really it was, I’m not just playing the Snoopy card here. I hate driving in bad weather which is why I was following Blythe’s car pretty closely. She had made meet her at a new restaurant after work. I am hopeless with directions and can get lost in my own yard. Blythe was leading me home.
The rain poured down on our cars in heavy sheets. I could barely see her tail lights. Suddenly the sky was bright with lightning. I could have sworn I saw some one standing on the side of the road. It may have been a trick of shadows. I don’t know, but what happened next will stick with me forever. I was still following the tail lights but the ground under my tires felt different. Crud! We had gone off the road. I had stopped but Blythe’s car kept going. I lost sight of her lights in the rain.
I tried calling her cell. No answer. I texted her. No response. I dug for my umbrella. I knew it wasn’t going to help but I think I went into auto pilot. I stepped out of the car. My shoes sunk deep into the wet, muddy grass.
“Blythe!” I trekked forward not really knowing where I was headed. I couldn’t see anything, “Blythe!” I yelled again. The thunder was loud. I saw a light. I headed towards it. The rain eased up enough for me to see a little ways in front of me. The light I saw was from Blythe’s car. It was the interior light. Her door was open.
“Blythe, where are you?” As I approached the car I realized that she wasn’t in it. “Blythe!” I hollered as loudly as I could. The lightning flashed again and again. I saw the trees at the edge of the field we had ended up in. It was like watching an old movie flicker. I could have sworn there was some one standing there. Some one that wasn’t Blythe.

Opinions and suggestions always welcome. I'll try not to cry. ;)

Whatcha Reading Wednesdays: April 21

2010-04-21T14:45:00.006-05:00

Grab the book you are currently reading, open to a random page, scan down to a random spot and type two sentences If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something).

here is mine: "Friday looked at me, looked at Mum, stuck his finger up his nose and said, "Sunt in culpa qui officia id est laborum?"
I ruffled his hair and he showed me a booger he had found." Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Thought this was fun. Check out the site Busy Moms Who Love to Read by clicking the title of this post.

Wordless Wednesday: Bubble Time!

2010-04-21T09:21:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to check out MORE Wordless Wednesday posts at http://wordlesswednesday.com

Job Hazards!

2010-04-19T12:45:00.003-05:00

Do you ever have times when you see something happening and it just makes you want to lay down and give up?
The other day I was killing some time with the youngest Beastie and we headed into Burger King so she could run off some energy. A young kid who worked there came in and wrestled a 15 foot ladder out of its hidey hole. An older guy, one of the 4 or 5 managers that were running around obviously on a store visit, came back and talked him through setting this thing up so the kid could climb up and wipe down the vent. The ladder was leaned against the wall with the legs sitting sort of precariously between two banks of seats. The kid was OBVIOUSLY nervous as he headed up so what did this older guy do? HE WALKED AWAY! Really? I grew up with an electrician father who always stressed how important it was to have some one hold a ladder for you (even if he didn't heed his own advice and could be found 'hopping' ladders from point A to point B). I asked the kid if he would feel better if I held the ladder for him. He said 'yes' so I did.
The managers had to be able to see me through the big window but did any come in to help or even check on what was happening? NOPE. I wasted play time with my kid because I was uncomfortable letting this nervous kid put himself in jeopardy. Maybe I'm overly cautious or a nervous nilly but man...
Just had to share. It really bugged me and I'm still considering calling and complaining. I did have my husband check the OSHA stuff but there wasn't anything really WRONG with what they did. I guess common sense isn't regulated.

Kids music that rocks!

2010-04-16T08:19:00.007-05:00

As you know... I am a mom. I have a five-year-old and a two-year-old. I am not the kind of mom that can sit and listen to RAFFI over and over every day. It would kill my soul. I know it. I was so excited to see that They Might Be Giants was doing kids stuff and we engorged ourselves on that. I'm also a fan of Dan Zanes. Thanks to Yo Gabba Gabba and Jack's Gig Music how my kids are finding more kid friendly music to listen to that I actually enjoy. It's easier than having to edit The Dead Milkmen (which my son LOVES).You have NO idea how very ecstatic I was when I found that my friend Jim Gyuro had formed his own kid friendly group, Mr. Mocos. I would listen to this even if I didn't have the little ones. He rocks. I am excited to share this interview I did with him as well as his links. Check him out. He's a fave in this house and I know he can become one in your abode to!

Me: How long have you been playing music?

Jim: I started playing music in the 1st grade, piano lessons. I took lessons through the 5th or 6th grade, then I discovered the guitar! I liked the guitar a lot more than the piano because I could move around. I kept up with the guitar over the years and formed my first band as a sophomore in high school with my friend Tom Alexander. We started out with just a keyboard and drum machine...Tom bought a guitar and I bought a bass. We recorded songs for years and played live all through college. After college I found myself in a few other rock bands, made a couple of self produced CDs and had a great time.

Me: What made you start playing kids music?

Jim: I started playing kids music because some of my friends that had children were going crazy with the selection of music available for kids. They would play some of my "grown-up" band songs to them and found that the kids liked that more than the "ABC, 123, blue, red, look at me" CDs. So I took the same type of music I was playing for adults and just made the lyrics kid-friendly. Mostly the song subject come from my own memories as a kid, my bikes, playing with bugs, being sick etc.

Me: What are your influences?

Jim: My influences include Reverend Horton Heat, They Might Be Giants, The Presidents of the United States, Elvis, The Beach Boys, and a few obscure 80s goth/alternative bands. I am mostly influenced by the gritty 50s R and B and 60s surf music.

Me: What are you working on now?

Jim: I have 1 CD in the can and currently on iTunes and CD Baby. I'm working on getting the next set of 10 songs for the 2nd album. I'm half way there. I've hooked up with the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ to play a couple of times per month so my catalogue of songs is growing. I have 5 new tunes that are not on the current CD, "You Can Pick Your Friends" but demos are available to listen to on the FaceBook page.

Me: What's your favorite kids' group that's not you?

Jim: My favorite kids group that is not me would be The Jimmies. First of all, cool name - (same as my real name), they spell Jimmie right and they RAWK! "Bedhead" has to be one of my all time faves and the video is super cool. And of course They Might Be Giants, be it their kids music or regular music. My daughter is currently in LOVE with Mickey Mouse and we have to watch The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse whenever we can. They Might Be Giants does the theme song and the "Hot Dog Dance" song as well. I find myself singing both tunes all the time and my daughter goes nuts when she hears the Hot Dog song, she dances all over the room.

Me: Any parenting advice? (Jim has a beautiful little toddler named PJ)

Jim: My parenting advice is love your kids, have fun with them, be firm but fair, give them rules and boundaries to start them off in the right path. You don't want them to grow up and just be your friend, we all know what trouble some of our friends have gotten us all into. We are the models they will follow when they grow up and have kids, keep the cycle healthy and loving.

Me: What's your favorite kids' book?

Jim: My favorite kids book is a toss up between Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Both have kept a hold on me throughout the years due to their influence of using your imagination. Kids without imaginations are a travesty, never let it happen. Imagination is what led me to create music and hopefully spread some joy in the world.

Me: Thanks Jim!

http://www.mrmocos.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Mocos/61748450829

Much to My Surprise

2010-04-15T07:22:00.004-05:00

I am a fan of Glee. I know... It took me by surprise but not as much by surprise as finding out that I thought the kid who plays Finn, a sorta goody goody football player, was H-O-T! Cory Monteith is super cute. I couldn't believe it. SO not the kind of guy I normally think 'Hmmm...' about. Clean cut and probably a baby.
With the exception of my husband I always lean towards boys who seem to be headed for jail. The ones who carry beer bongs in the trunk of their car or who skateboard naked at public parks. Not the clean cut, choir boys. I usually don't get it when the college girls I work with talk about these teen stars. Give me an Anthony Bourdain or a Mike Ness any day.
My next thought (although the whole time I'm thinking 'Man, this is a KID I shouldn't think he's so cute!') was that obviously he's gay. The boys that I have liked that have been clean cut have turned out to be gay. (Some of you are now snickering because you know who I'm talking about) That must be the answer!
I know, this is taking up a lot of my thought process but you have to understand... I have standards and this kid just didn't meet the criteria. Then it happened. Sitting on the breakroom table at work was some weekly magazine with a cover story of Glee. I non-chalantly picked up the magazine and started flipping pages. There he was. My secret, guilty crush. The boy that could get me sent to jail under the right circumstances. I read. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was still the same old Cheryl. My tastes were not changing. This hottie who plays a choir boy high school kid on tv was actually a 27 year old high school drop out. Thank God!

Wordless Wednesday: My Little Ballerina

2010-04-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crafty Tuesday: Red and white Cherry Box

2010-04-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

I held a contest on the FB site Craft-Tacular for one of my treasure boxes. My friend Kandra won and informed me that she likes cherries and red and white. This is what I came up with. I've not mailed it yet because I can't get the darn lid to stop sticking when it slides but I have a plan!

By the way... If you want a box let me know we'll talk. Most of these are big enough to fit 3x5 note cards making them perfect little recipe boxes.

Here it is Sunday already...

2010-04-11T17:56:00.003-05:00

So I'm still having computer problems so my blogs are a bit scant. That's OK because I should be doing some other stuff anyway. I need to clean and prepare for our BIG trip this summer. I also need to get some crafting done to prepare for at least one event: a renaissance festival in IL. I'm hoping to make at least a couple dollars from it. I'm also waiting to hear whether or not Lauren and I will have a booth at the Bloomington Farmer's Market this summer. Since we are both SOOOOO on the ball our app. will be late and have to go in with round two. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.Keep watching... I will try to show up from time to time.

As a self-motivator I'm trying to get to at least 25 followers (more would be swell) so FOLLOW ME!

For now please enjoy these random photos:

Get to know you

2010-04-04T19:14:00.005-05:00

I thought this looked like fun. If you want to join go to http://www.mannland5.com

The questions..

1. Showers or baths? Showers: they're faster and, when I shave I'm not sitting in stubble...

2. Do you have any crazy urges? All the time. Sometimes I want to sing out as loud as I can in public... and yet Karaoke frightens me...

3. What is one thing we don't know about you? I would love to be famous for my writing or my art one day

4. Exercise..love it or hate it? Actually I like it when I do it but it takes a while to get motivated

5. Do you think you have a good body image? No, not really.... I do like my boobs though

6. Flour or corn tortillas? Flour all the way

7. How do you celebrate Easter? Easter Bunny, egg hunt pretty low key

8. Hard boiled Easter eggs or plastic eggs? Both

How can my favorite companions also be my worst enemies??

2010-04-03T12:14:00.003-05:00

My husband has been gone to a conference for the last 4 days. It has been me and my children. Here. Alone. Together. I love them I really do. They can be exceptionally funny. They can be absurdly adorable. They can also be totally lovable.
Then there are the other times. The times where I try to tell my 2 year old daughter 'No' and get screamed at by Linda Blair. Or I ask my 5 year old to pick something up and suddenly his arms are tired, his head hurts, he's sleepy. And the whining... The whining never seems to end. The whining always seems to accompany tattelling. "Mom, Claudia has my chicken." "Moooooommmmm, Clyde is on my side." I didn't even know that I had designated lap sides .
By the end of the day I feel like I may strangle some one. I'm so worn out I don't get the projects done that I have planned. I always think that I can get sooooo much done being home in the evening by myself. I do get a lot of time lying on the couch thinking about what I should be doing but nothing else really gets accomplished.
It makes me feel like a bit of a failure, a slacker at the very least. My husband always manages to get so much done when it's him and the little ones. They leave him alone, does what he says, life is good. When it's just me and them they can't leave me alone. I get very little down time. My personal space is just about non-existent. I become a yeller. I hate being a yeller. I want my children to listen to me when I use a calm tone of voice. I want to be able to control myself and USE my calm voice.
I don't like them getting the better of me. I don't like feeling like a crazy lady. I don't like giving in. But I do. I give in. As the day comes closer to an end I start finding myself saying OK to things I should really say no to. Or saying OK to things that I've just said no to a gazillion times. I know I'm supposed to be consistent and not give up but man are they good at chipping away at me. How do kids know this? DO they start having discussions about it at playgroups even when the are pre-verbal? It's a conspiracy I tell ya. How can I love these little beings so much and yet want to lock them in a sound proof box?
Anyone have any magical dust they can send me to fix all this?

Wordless Wednesday: The Beauty of Friendship

2010-03-31T09:18:00.003-05:00

Don't forget to check out more Wordless Wednesday posts by clicking on the title of this post.

The loss of a friend

2010-03-30T18:53:00.005-05:00

Sorry I haven't been posting but my home computer has been down and I just don't have it in me to 'text' in my posts. Not that good.

Last week I lost a friend. He wasn't a close friend but he was some one from my past who was a part of my circle. He, like me, was 39 years old. He died of a heart attack. Natural causes. I'm not ready for the 'natural cause' deaths to start occurring.
I was one of the drama kids in high school. Hung out with the skate rats. Went to the 'cool' clubs. Have seen more than my fair share of shows in small, dim, dank rooms whose floors felt like they were going to collapse under the weight and movement of the mosh pit. (Hang in there, I have a point) It was a crowd that tended to attract people with more than a few issues. Obviously we weren't all self-hurting manic depressives but you could be assured that at least 1/3 of the people in the room had snuck their mom's sleeping pills out of the house at least once or knew what a single razor blade felt like as it slid across your skin.
I am as prepared as one can be to lose friends to suicide, accidental drug overdoses, stupid sex acts... But natural causes? I've lost friends to idiot drunk drivers, illness, eating disorders... But natural causes? My Grandparents died of 'natural causes'. OLD people die in their sleep of 'natural causes'. We're not old yet...
Of course, I'm probably old to the high school and college kids that I work with. Heck, even some of my 'mom' friends probably don't consider me a spring chicken... Just remember that age can catch up with you before you know it.
Life is full of surprises. Hug some one. Compliment a stranger. Forgive a past transgression or at least let it go. Don't forget to say 'I love you' or even 'I like you'. It's the little things that help knock down any opportunity for regrets.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate you.

Crafty Tuesday: Look Ma! I did somethin'

2010-03-23T13:52:00.003-05:00

Here it is My Crafty Tuesday Submission. I love making these boxes and need to get on the ball and get some more made! I will be making one for a friend who won a contest I held on my FaceBook group page entitled Craft-Tacular. You should check it out if you're interested!

I have been using dominoes as a 'knob' to pull the lid open but I've also started using these great puddle stones. Not sure that's what they're called but that's what they make me think of. I love playing with the papers and seeing what combinations I can come up with. A lot of the time I won't even like how something is turning out and then all of a sudden I'll add one more thing and then that does it.

I think I'd like to try to make a cigar box guitar one of these days. I think that project will make me even more glad than I already am that I have a handy hubby.

Happy Crafty Tuesday!

A walk in the Park

2010-03-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

I want to start walking again. I feel better when I do it. I even eat better after I walk. What better time to start than while my five-year-old is at pre-k? The weather is beautiful. I know the perfect park.
So... I drop Clyde off at school and Claudia, my precious curly headed 2-year-old, and I head to a park that has a mile long loop. I start on the side AWAY from the playground. I'm not a complete idiot. I strap her into her stroller... Which, by the way is a pink, just a bit sturdier version of an umbrella stroller. I like it but I'm about 4 inches too tall for it. When we purchased that stroller my husband decided we should get rid of our big clunky stroller to clear some space. I agreed. Not my best decision. She goes in fine. I have brought along her travel size Magna-Doodle to keep her occupied. She's doin' great. There are some horses near by. We're listening to birds. My heart rate is up but not too high. I'm making good time. All is right with the world.
Then IT comes into sight. The playground. No biggie. It's about 3/4 of a mile from where we started. I can let her play and do some stretching. I explain to my angelic little girl that we will play for a little bit and then get back in the stroller and continue our walk. 'OTay Mommy' this sweet little doll says to me. We play for about 15 minutes and I say, "OK Claudia, It's time to get back in our stroller". I mean that is how I explained things right? She had said 'OTay'. Apparently it wasn't time to get back in the stroller.
I tried bribing her with Yo Gabba Gabba. My girl's a junkie with a hard habit. Yo Gabba Gabba ALWAYS wins out, well, almost always. It wasn't gonna work today. I say, 'just a couple more minutes then'. This is met with a dimpled grin and a look of love, OK, so there was more than just a hint of the 'ha, ha, ha, ha, I won' look in her eyes but I'm the one telling the story and love is what I choose to believe. A few minutes pass. We need to get going.
I go to pick her up and she does the flop. I swear she must have been a passive protester in a past life. She can become dead weight at the drop of a hat. I tell her I'm going to spin her, which I do but then I try to get her into her little pink stroller. You know the ones. The ones that tip at every opportunity . The ones that are not meant to hold a tall 2-year-old who is ready for a fight. I manage to coerce her in and get her strapped. I'm back on my way. Feeling good, ignoring the screams of protest.
Then, she figures it out. By pushing down with her feet she can stop the stroller. She's twisting around yelling 'Tarry me Mommy, Tarry me'. I'm not gonna give in. I am the adult. She is a small child. I (like to pretend) have the upper hand. I am the boss. I reach down and give her a small swat. I don't spank as a rule but I needed to get her turned around so I can tighten the straps before she figures out how to slide her legs out. I continue to push and she continues to drag her feet.
I explain to her that we are almost to the car and she needs to behave. As you know, that ALWAYS works. Finally I let her out. I tell her she can walk. Welp, she doesn't want to walk. She places herself firmly in front of me and won't let go of my legs. I inform her that she can walk OR ride in the stroller. The cries of 'TARRY ME' are getting louder. I cave. I pick her up. She's heavy AND I still need to push the stroller that I'm too tall for. I convince her that she can push the stroller. This works for about 2 seconds before it hits her that she's been duped. More screaming. More deep breathing on my part. I'm ready to scream at the cute firemen out for a run 'Tarry Me' or at least ask them about their child drop-off policy but I don't. I stay relatively calm. I pick her back up.
Now, my daughter sucks on the back of her hand and plays with her belly button to soothe herself. It is at this point in the walk she starts to decide that I need to cradle her so that she can do both of these things. Keep in mind I'm still pushing the stroller. I swear the car is getting farther away by the second. I talk her into riding on my shoulders. I throw my keys in the stroller seat. She notices this and needs down. She goes to the front of the stroller, picks up my keys, hands them to me and climbs in. She won't let me strap her but at this point I don't care. Finally, I am at my car.
My darling snookums, my lovey dovey does not want out of her stroller... She wants to do another lap. I think not.

A little bit of fiction....

2010-03-22T09:13:00.004-05:00

Would you continue with a story that started like this:

Have you ever closed your eyes and caught a glimpse of what you thought was a face or swore that some one was standing right behind you? You may have even heard your name whispered in the distance only to turn and find no one there. Well, he's there and he has stolen my best friend. He may not realize it but I will be getting her back.

Be honest and let me know what you think.

Wordless Wednesday: When the Co-eds are Away the Kids Will Play

2010-03-17T14:50:00.004-05:00

A friend and I used spring break as an excuse to go 'Campus Hiking' with the kids at UT Arlington.

Just as long as she doesn't look up to a racist, bombmaker that kicks dogs

2010-03-14T15:43:00.005-05:00

This is my youngest brat. My only daughter. Of course, my oldest is my only son but... You know what I mean. She's only two but I'm already wondering who it is she will look up to as she gets older. I want her to have strong female influences as well as male. FGor this post I'm gonna focus on the female side.

I work at a bookstore and have read TWILIGHT. Bella, the leading lady, is sort of the OPPOSITE of what I'm lookin' for for Claudia. Now there is another series of books by Rosemary Clement-Moore whose lead, Maggie O'Quinn, is a good fit. She's quirky and independent. A little insecure and way sarcastic. She is sort of what I see my little 'angel' becoming. Maybe without the psychic visions and such but still.

I'm also fortunate to have a good base of girl friends. I have friends are stay-at-home moms who home school, friends that are students, friends that work in just about every imaginable field: artists, zoo keepers, teachers, nurses, cashiers, managers, administrative assistants, small business owners, race car drivers, writers, photographers, actors, directors, professors, costumers, etc. I have friends who are Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist. I have friends who are soft-spoken and those that don't let you get a word in edge-wise. Maybe she'll latch on to one of them as a role model.

Then there's my mom. She's MY role model. She works, has been married for 40 years to the same man, raised five kids... None of whom have done any prison time to my knowledge... She speaks her mind but knows when to keep her cool. She is my 'go to' person for EVERYTHING. Claudia could do worse than her grandma as a role model.

Truthfully there aren't a lot of celebrities that I would like her to obsess over and want to emulate. Katie Couric maybe, she seems harmless enough. I think Neicey Nash seems pretty cool too. Katherine Hepburn's not a bad choice but unless Claudia gets scripted by the writers for Gilmore Girls I don't see that happening. Of course there's always Eleanor Roosevelt, Sacagewea, Mother Theresa (She's always a big hit with the kids). I'm not really into sports so I don't know a lot about female athletes... There are the likes of Diane Arbus, Annie Leibowitz, Frida Kahlo but I think they'd be better looked at for their art and not necessarily their personal lives.

I'm fairly certain that there will come a time when she's not gonna care what I think are good choices for her but I will try to get into that little head of hers as much as I can now. I may have some luck. My five-year-old son has informed me that he's 'a big fan of Lincoln's. Oh, and Barrack Obama'. Neither of those are bad choices. He could idolize Darth Vader or something.
I guess for now I'll just be happy that she is a big fan of Yo Gabba Gabba and ICarly and KNOWS that, no matter what anyone says, she can do whatever the big kids can do.

Thursday's Writers' Workshop: My passions

2010-03-11T11:16:00.003-06:00

This week one of Mama Kat's prompts was to write about five things that you are passionate about.
Let's give it a try:

I will leave out the obvious like my kids, my husband, my parents etc...

1) Probably one of the things that really gets me going is getting books into the hands of kids. I had read somewhere that in most low-income homes the kids may never own a book. I just couldn't believe it. I started by just recommending to my friends and family that they donate kids books to the Not-Forgotten-Boxes or other charities at Christmas time. Working for Barnes and Noble allows me to enlist the help of others in doing this. We have a book drive every Christmas and donate the books to the local mission. Each kid who goes through the Mission's 'Christmas Store' gets a book. I would eventually like to form a non-profit that gets books into the hands of young people under the age of 21 who are having their OWN kids. I have done a talk at a local high school with some other moms and a librarian (also a mom) about the importance of reading to your kids. Coming up I will be helping with a story-time and craft for a group of Burmese refugees.

2) Crafting is one of passions as well. It is one of my therapeutic outlets. I find that by creating things I can relieve my stress and desire to eat! Unfortunately I don't make enough time for myself to do this. I would like to start making a reasonable amount of money doing it at some point. For that I will really need to work on my organizational skills, which are currently none.

3) Drunk driving. I know that EVERYONE is against drunk driving... In theory. I lost one of my bestest buds to a drunk driver who, all these years later, has still not apologized to her parents as far as I know. I think that punishments should be way stricter and I have been known to call the police from my cell when I see some one on the road with a drink in their hand. Don't toast me with your beer can because I will be taking your license plate number!

4) I guess photography is a passion. I LOVE to take pictures. I would photo document every aspect of my life every day if I could. I received my first camera for Christmas when I was only seven years old. I used to tape pictures from National Geographic on my walls and pretend that I took them. I went through a phase of wanting to photograph for THRASHER or publicity photos for bands. I thought Annie Leibowitz had a pretty cake gig. I went to Ohio State for photography but never finished. I would love to do more with photography but lack the confidence I once had.

5) And yet one more... writing. It's just something I've always done. i go in periods where I do more of it than others. I have a book in my head that has been there for years. My goal this year is to get it all fleshed out. It's sort of blocking me from doing more writing. I think that it comes as a surprise to some people that I can write and write pretty well. I once asked a friend if I could read her something. I told her that I really wanted her opinion because I knew she would be honest. She sighed and told me she'd have to tell me the truth. I assured her that that was what I wanted. I figured she'd been down this road before. I finished reading to her. Nothing. Silence. I got nervous. I guessed it probably did suck. Finally she said 'I didn't know you could do that'. Apparently she had liked it.

So there are five things that I'm passionate about. There are more like road safety for bicyclists, helmets on ALL kids, making sure kids are in the proper seat in the car, respect for everyone... The list goes on.

Thanks for reading.

Wordless Wednesday: Our friend the Blue Heron

2010-03-10T08:28:00.003-06:00

Not sure if this is really a blue heron but that is what my son has always called this guy

Crafty Tuesday: Notes from a slacker

2010-03-09T07:30:00.004-06:00

Pay attention to the cute kids! Ignore the fact that I've done nothing crafty this week...
Aren't the kids cute... Look at the children... Oooo...

Would you ever...

2010-03-08T15:46:00.004-06:00

Just heard that some one I know was watching the children of some friends. One of the little girls had hair hanging in her face. Without said little girl's mother knowing much less OKing, the babysitter CUT THE LITTLE GIRL'S HAIR. It was bothering the babysitter.
Yep, you heard it correctly. Needless to say she is no longer allowed to watch the little girl in question. I can see if the girl had gotten a huge piece of gum in her hair or something so horribly tangled in it that there was no other way to get it out. Keep in mind that this person, who has her own children, has no haircutting skills. I've seen the results of her kitchen cuts. Not great.
What would you do if this were your kid? Would you ever do this to some one in your care? Come on be honest. I'll only judge you a little! :)

Writer's Workshop Thursday: You're so vain

2010-03-04T13:49:00.004-06:00

I chose the "you're so vain I bet you think this blog is about you" starter for Thursday's Writer's Workshop. I went ahead and just did some free writing to see where the old brain would take me and this was what I got...

It was one of those conversations that you just know you should walk away from. Do not engage. Smile, nod, say it was nice to see you again and walk away. Unfortunately, when alcohol is added, I tend to get stubborn. I had run into an ex at a bar when I was visiting my folks.It started congenially enough. We said hi. He bought me a beer… which was no where near my first for the evening. Things were fine. I kept a bar stool’s distance from him.>And then it started. He moved closer,“So, you married some one who looks a lot like me ya know.”
“Wh… uh… I…. What the hell are you talking about?” Rarely was I at a loss for words but this had truly taken me by surprise.
“Your husband, he looks a lot like me.”
“No he doesn’t”.
“Yeah, he does”
“How do you figure?”
“We both have dark hair”
“As does more than half of the world’s population”
“We’re both tall”
“You’re maybe 5’ 10” He’s 6’ 9” “
“I’m six foot”
“Then so am I, apparently”
“What color are his eyes?”
Really? I was gonna sit through this? Apparently because I kept answering his questions.
“They’re hazel”
“That’s just a fancy word for brown.”
“No it’s not.”
“Ask anyone, we look a like. You have married my doppelganger.”I turned to my best friend who was just sitting there, keeping her mouth shut, letting me suffer.
“Do you think he and Stu look a like?”
“Not even a little.” She said loud enough for him to hear over the bar noise.
“Of course she’d say that. She’s gonna take your side. She doesn’t want to embarrass you.”
“It’s not a side. You don’t look like my husband. At. ALL.”
“If you say so. I just think you should know that I am also married now so you should get over me.”
“Thanks, I’ll work on that.” I mumbled as he walked away.
At that my friend Joe walked over laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, I just made an ass of myself.” Nothing new where Joe was concerned.
“What did ya do now?” I asked
“Oh, I just bought some un-known girl a beer because I thought she was you.”
“Poor girl,” I said. Then curiosity got the better of me. “Where?”
He pointed and as I looked over to see who my twin was the ex leaned over and gave her a big wet kiss.
Who’s not over who?

Wordless Wednesday: Don't mess with this bee

2010-03-03T08:37:00.003-06:00

Here is my Wordless Wednesday submission for this week. The top one may be my favorite picture ever of my daughter.

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com

Crafty Tuesday: ALREADY?

2010-03-02T13:16:00.002-06:00

I was actually crafty this week. I finished up two frames for a friend. They didn't come out as I had planned but I think they are OK. The one that actually has 'nurses' on it I left the faces blank so they could add a picture of their own face or a friends if they wanted.
The box was for a little girl's fifth birthday. I just saw her mom today and she was very happy with it. I'm glad. I'm not sure if you do this or not but, whenever I make something and some one tells me they love it I just assume they think that's the polite response!
I tend to put off my craft projects if there is something else that needs to be done but then, I don't do that thing either (my bathroom is gross) so I've decided to stop putting it off and just do it! Look at me... I'm a shoe ad. :)
Hope you all have a craft filled week!

Wordless Wednesday: One Wet Clown

2010-02-23T21:07:00.003-06:00

Crafty Tuesday: Organization

2010-02-23T20:05:00.004-06:00

Organizing is so not my strong point. I suck at it. I pull stuff out to organize it and end up looking through it, finding stuff I forgot I had and basicly just shuffeling it around. Welp, one of my New Year's Resolution was to get my craft stuff organized. I have begun the process. I even threw away a whole trashbag full of just junk. Throwing things away can be hard for me. I am part pack rat on both sides. My mom, although organized, has boxes of 'memorabilia' from I don't know when. She even inherited some of my Great Aunt's nearly 100 years worth of 'memorabilia'. My dad is the guy who finds it easier to go out and buy something new rather than try to find where that item is hidden. His stuff is not quite as sentimental as my mom's but it is no where near as organized. I, unfortunately, save memorabilia and then have no skills in keeping it in anything even close to an organized fashion.
I love to buy card stock and decorative papers. I have a thing for anything that looks like it belongs on a collage. After a couple of months I tend to forget what I have picked up here and there because it gets put on my shelving unit which, like my many organizational boxes and containers, was purchased to help get me and keep me together.
This is what it looked like:
No wonder I can never get anything done. I can't find ANYTHING! This is just the tip of the iceberg. I have stuff in boxes, bags and drawers. I make the claim that if I had my own space this wouldn't happen but deep down I know it would. After a couple of hours I was able to get it looking like this:Two shelves. Those two shelves contained a whole trash bag worth of crap! It is a work in progress but I think eventually I may get there. Last night I even worked towards getting my papers sorted out. Not sure how I am going to store them all but at least I'm starting to see what I have.
Wish me luck!

A Visit to the Doctor

2010-02-22T21:44:00.002-06:00

Going to the doctor is not something that usually bothers me. After a couple of kids it just starts to feel like home. This visit, however, was different. I was nervous and miserable. I was depressed and scared. I was CONVINCED that this was the visit where I had gone all to hell in a hand basket. I turn 40 in a couple of months. I didn't think it was going to bother me but apparently it's got me thinkin'.
I was certain that my blood pressure would be sky high. I HATE the blood pressure cuff with a passion ever since I was pregnant with my second kid and had to go visit the 'special doctor for women who are both OLD and pregnant'. I like to refer to him as Doctor DOOM. My blood pressure was ALWAYS high when I'd go to see him and then fine at my regular OB. Anywho, I digress. I hate the cuff and was pretty convinced that that alone was going to send my BP through the roof. The nurse laughed when she told me what it was and, in a panic, I asked 'Is that high'. She reassured me that it was normal.
Everything went fine with the doctor as well. I didn't get any 'Now that you're getting older...' speeches. I did have to get my cholesterol checked but I'll have to wait on that result. I'm just glad it's over for another year. I suppose that next year I have the mammogram to look forward to. yay.

Writer's Workshop Thursday: Childhood memory time: Write about something you loved to do as a child

2010-02-18T14:43:00.004-06:00

I know, I know... It's supposed to be 'Change Your Life Thursday' BUT... One of things I was going to change was writing more. Welp, as fate would have it, I stumbled upon this Blog through another Blogger I had stumbled across. My 'assignment' is this: Childhood memory time: Write about something you loved to do as a child. So here goes...

I grew up in Ohio. I am the oldest of 5 and our house WAS the Kool-aid house. All the kids on our street were often over in our yard or playing on our porch. One of things we would do is pretend that we were genius runaways. The front porch was our boat from which we did research, of course. The floor beds around the porch were the dolphin tanks that contained our extremely intelligent pet dolphins whom we would take out with us on exploring junkets ( I don't think we used the word junkets back then though). The grass: the ocean, duh. The sidewalks were the safe places to take our mini-boats (bikes). We had to make sure we avoided the sharks as well as the evil group that never really had a name but was always looking to take us back to the orphanage we had escaped from.
My mom had a climbing plant with pretty purple flowers that we picked to use as our experiments. We'd crush them and mix them with dirt and water, and once in a poorly designed move on my part, old perfume, to see what our results would be.
If it was hot out we could sit on the porch with the hose and squirt one another as we rode by. Not sure what that was supposed to represent in our make-believe world but we didn't care. Our game, our rules.
We could do this for hours! We were up and down the street. Everybody's yard had something to be discovered. We were in front yards and backyards. We climbed trees and swing sets. We left messages on the sidewalk with those chalky white rocks that lined everyone's flower beds and even some driveways. No one panicked when we got out of view or earshot. We were allowed to come and go as we pleased... As long as we didn't cross any busy roads and were home for lunch or dinner.
Gosh, that was fun. Did I mention that my brother and I also used to pretend we were combing a giant's hair when we raked the yard? Another story for another day.

I hope you'll check out other people's submissions at http://mamakatslosinit.com

Wordless Wednesday: Snow Fun!

2010-02-17T11:48:00.005-06:00

Yep... It's Texas!

Don't forget to check out other people's Wordless Wednesday posts.
http://www.wordlesswednesday.com

Crafty Tuesday: Or Where Did the Time Go and What Have I done?

2010-02-16T10:44:00.003-06:00

So, I have to admit that on this Crafty Tuesday, doubling as Fat Tuesday, I have nothing really new to offer. I will share something a bit older. Something I have done in the past. I hope this isn't cheating.
This is a birdhouse that was commissioned by a friend for her mom. It has pictures of her cute kids on either side of it. I made it from an old cigar box with a sliding lid. It's been decoupaged... Of course. I adhered glass beads and little silver dragonfly beads to it. I wrapped the perch in a red craft wire. It's probably not all that functional but I think it makes a cute decorative piece for the mantle or wherever.

I've also started a FaceBook group called 'Craft-Tacular'. It's nothin' too fancy. Just a place for crafters to get together and encourage one another. I'm hoping that people will share ideas, tips, blogs, favorite sites and constructive criticism. I'm currently running a contest on it for anyone who posts something, ANYTHING, about crafting. I will choose a name from the participants and let them choose one of my treasure boxes. It's open to crafters everywhere so I hope you'll check it out and share your gifts with us!

Change Your Life Thursday: Nothin' too drastic

2010-02-11T14:35:00.002-06:00

Welp, this week I started eating more salads. I'm trying to have one a day... At least. I'm also trying to do more physical play with the kids. For instance... Today we had a snowball fight and built a snowman.
Yep, this is Texas...
Not sure how many calories I burn but it sure makes me feel better.
As for the other stuff... My friend Jen got the OK on our story time with the refugees. I'm pretty excited. I think it should be fun and I think it will really help me too figure out what I really want to do with my life.
Hope you're all taking baby steps to new and better lives!

Wordless Wednesday: Goofballs

2010-02-10T14:32:00.004-06:00

If you want to see more Wordless Wednesday go to http://www.wordlesswednesday.com
There is some really fun stuff.

Crafty Tuesday... A day early

2010-02-08T13:11:00.004-06:00

So this past weekend we had two birthday parties to attend. The first was for a three-year-old girly-girl and the second was for a four-year-old princess with more than a splash of tomboy thrown in the mix.
For the girly-girl I repurposed an old cigar box. I painted it pink and decoupaged a bird that I designed on to the top. Next I used dimensional paint to add yellow polka dots and trimmed the edge with a pink boa (that I hope won't shed too much. I decked out the inside with paper and ribbon to cover the cigar motif. I used a round bead and a ribbon loop for a closure. I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

For my tomboy I used an un-finished box from Michael's. Apparently cigar boxes are becoming harder to get hold of. I painted it metallic purple. I only did one coat so it looked more like stain. I added a cutesy caterpillar made from paper scraps, a pipe cleaner for a stick, a bead for a nose and, of course, some googly eyes. I trimmed the top with some white, fuzzy fiber that I made a chain out of (don't know what else to call it). My son then decided we should add some beads so we did. I left the inside of this one plain since it was clean of any advertising.

Both girls seemed happy with these and I had fun making them. Next it's on to some more decoupaged frames for a friend. Man, I love glue! :)

Hope some of you are out there being crafty as well.

Change Your Life Thursday

2010-02-04T13:54:00.003-06:00

So... I'm still working on figuring out what it is I should be doing with my life. This past week I had some very telling reactions to a couple of different events.

First: I was having a terrible day. I can't pinpoint any one thing that was irritating me. I was just in a bad mood. I went through most of the day in that mood. I knew I couldn't have been too much fun for ANYONE to be around. Finally, we got the kids to bed and I could think. I sat down, still in a foul mood, and began working on a birthday present for a friend. I was painting and gluing. Everything got better. I didn't become 'perky' by any means but I felt way better.

Second: My friend Jen is finishing up a degree in nursing. As a part of one of her classes she needs to work on a community development type project. She's thinking of setting up a story time for a group of families who are refugees from Burma. She asked for my help. The ideas for that have been flowing ever since. She still needs to get it approved but if she does we'll be on our way.

I guess that I have learned that, yes, I truly do love making things and that I have a real passion for sharing stories and art with others. Now I just have to figure out how to make all of that relatively lucrative for me. It still feels like a pretty big step for me. Like I may be narrowing in on a direction.

How are the rest of you doing?

Wordless Wednesday: The Artists in the House

2010-02-03T12:27:00.007-06:00

I know that one picture is worth a thousand words but I like to talk... A LOT.

Books I LOVE

2010-02-01T13:04:00.003-06:00

I am a reader. I always have been. I was that kid that got in trouble for having the lights on after bed time. I used to walk to the local library in Elyria and scour the shelves. I loved the Boxcar Children, Paddington, Snowbound with Betsy and, for whatever reason, Art Linkletter's Kids' Say the Darndest Things series.
I still love books and have started a couple different book clubs. Last I knew the one I started at the University of Mississippi was still up and running. I have one now on FaceBook if you're interested. Just look up 'Our Very Own Book Club'.
Anyway, here is a list of some of my current and all-time favorites.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: This one is not for the feint of heart. It's about a couple who decide to create their own freak show by doing WHATEVER they can to give birth to natural born freaks. Let's just say that Olympia, the narrator, is one of their more normal children and she is a bald, albino, hunchback dwarf.

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins: This epic tale is one I need to read again soon. One man finds the elixir of eternal life. This is his journey and the journey for his one true love.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson: This is a kids book and is a new favorite. It's the prequel to Peter Pan. Peter starts off the story as an orphan who is being put on a ship with a few other orphans. He has no idea what the reason is. You learn how Peter comes to find Neverland, how he learns to fly and even how Captain Hook becomes Captain Hook. It's the first in a series and I hope to read the rest soon.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore: Anyone who knows me knows that this is one of my all time favorites. In this one Biff, best friend to Joshua (Jesus), is brought back to write his version of things that happened. This one is laugh out-loud funny. You find out what happens in all those years the bible misses. By the end, whatever your thoughts on who Jesus of Nazareth was I think you'll hope he really did have a friend like this. Also my favorite Mary Magdeline interpretation.

Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement Moore: I started reading this series because the author comes into the Barnes and Noble I work at. I absolutely ADORE it. It's about a girl who wants to ignore the fact that she's psychic but when she starts getting wierd visions she knows she has to act... Even if that means going to the dreaded prom. It sort of makes me think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Heathers (Mean Girls for those of you to young to remember Heathers). I read Twilight and didn't care for it. I thought that what's her name was a bit winey and helpless. None of that in here. Much stronger female lead. It restored my faith in good teen fiction!

I guess that's enough of my ranting for now. Maybe I have inspired you to read something new or re-read something old.
If you love books don't forget to share your love by donating books to organizations that can get them into the hands of kids and teens. Some young people never ever own a book!

Change your Life Thursday

2010-01-28T14:21:00.001-06:00

1) Lose 20 lbs. ( I know it should be more but you gotta start somewhere)
2) Focus on my craft business and get it running
3) Apply to school
4) Blog
5) Organize my craft crap
6) Get my novel completely fleshed out
7) Do more things for myself
8) Go to church more

SO, it's been a week since I posted my list of things I want to work on in the next year. I've worked on some things and ignored others. I promised I'd keep ya updated so here we go.

I've been thinking a lot about my crafting. I'm reading a book called "Crafty Superstar" on my breaks at work. I'm finding it really motivating and full of some great ideas. I would have NEVER thought about astro-turf as a table covering for a craft fair. It's got me thinking outside the box a bit.
After talking to my friend Heather I started a FaceBook group called 'Craft-Tacular'. I'm hoping that it will draw a group of crafters that will help keep me motivated as well as teach me a few things. And, yes, I know it's a crappy name but it's all I could come up with! :) If you're interested look it up!

I'm not 100% sure that school is REALLY what's right for me but I am looking into it. I'm reading "What Color Is Your Parachute 2010" that I checked out from the library. I'm trying to complete the workbook portion to maybe give me a bit of a direction at least. There's not been anything too surprising but it's got me thinking in directions that I hadn't thought about before. For example, teaching is something that pops up every now and again. I don't think I'm cut out to be a traditional teacher but I could teach small groups some craft techinques or even host craft parties.

Then there's blogging... Welp, if you care to peruse through my archives you will see that I have been doing just that. It's become a lot less stressful not worrying about having photos involved every time and just writing about whatever. I hope somebody's enjoying it.

As for doing things for myself... Welp, I went to Dallas the other night to hang out with the hubby who was at a conference. It was great. While he was busy I showered, watched tv, read... I even took my book down to the bar and sat with a Stella (that's a delicious beer in case you're wondering) and read. When he was done we ate and had a few drinks. It was heaven.

Not much in the way of the other things. I'm trying to drink more water and be more conscious of the things I eat and I have THOUGHT about what I'm going to do with my craft supplies but for the first week I think I did pretty good.

How did you do?

Little Rascals 2010

2010-01-27T08:07:00.004-06:00

Don't forget to visit http://www.wordlesswednesday.com

Self Portraits

2010-01-26T14:51:00.005-06:00

I decided that I wanted to take a few pictures of myself. When you're the one with the camera you don't get to be in a lot of them. That's OK. I'd much rather look at my kids and their friends than I would myself but when I'm famous there should be some sort of documentation, right?
The thing with looking at pictures of yourself... especially if you're the only thing in the picture... is that you start to notice things. They are things that I've noticed before but they get brought to the forefront in a portrait. For example... I have HUGE teeth. My left eye is surprisingly smaller than my right. My skin is starting to get blotchy and those darn chins just keep multiplying. I get more break outs now than I ever did. I could make attempts at touching these things up in Photoshop (if I could figure it out!) but, hey, this is me. This is the face I live with on a daily basis and, for the moment anyway, I kinda like it.

When I grow up...

2010-01-25T15:32:00.002-06:00

When I grow up I wanna be a... A.... Hmmm... Well, let's see..
OK so I can't quite figure out WHAT I want to do with my life. Every time I think I know I come up with something new. I seem to have no focus.
I really enjoy making things. I could see myself doing that for a living. I would love to hang out at craft fairs every weekend and have a successful on-line shop. I'd also love to have my own craft show on HGTV or something.
I also love taking pictures. I always have. I got my first camera when I was like 7 or something. I even went to Ohio State for Photography for a while. My true passion was art photography. Unfortunately, weddings seem to be where the money is at and I am not a big fan of wedding photography.
Writing is another passion. I still remember the short story contests we used to have in Mrs. Dennis' third grade class at Ely Elementary. I wrote one once about an old mattress that had become a mouse hotel. It won. I've taken several creative writing classes and have a book that I've been working on for more than a few years now. There is even a whole novel sitting in a drawer somewhere around here that I wrote when I was 18. It's really bad.
I enjoy working with kids. I don't know if I could deal with them in a structured environment for several hours a day every day but they're fun.
I can't make any decisions. I'm actually working through the book 'What Color is Your Parachute' book to see if that helps. So far there has been no real surprises in anything I've found.
I'm considering going back to school for Graphic Design. My thinking on this is that I can use my artsy fartsy capabilities towards something that may actually help me get a real job. A career even. Even just reading about it makes me nervous though. I'm not sure if I'm cut out for school. I've been out of that world for a LONG time.
Another possibility is that, over the summer, I find out that I CAN make some money doing my crafts. That would be wonderful. Of course that would mean I'd have to get organized and develop some time management skills. Both of these things are a bit weak for me.
If I ever get my book finished I can start the process of getting my rejection letters. Maybe, just maybe, some one will bite. It may also turn out that once I get this first one out of my head there's another even better one waiting to come out. Who knows?

Have you figured out what your true passion is? How have you done it? How many shots did it take? Help me out here... I'll take ANY advice and/or suggestions.

Change Your Life Thursdays

2010-01-21T22:39:00.003-06:00

OK, so a friend of mine sent me a message on FB saying that another friend of hers was challenging herself and others to find ten things that they want to accomplish this year, post them and then tell others when they've been completed. Here is my list...

1) Lose 20 lbs. ( I know it should be more but you gotta start somewhere)
2) Focus on my craft business and get it running
3) Apply to school

4) Blog
5) Organize my craft crap
6) Get my novel completely fleshed out
7) Do more things for myself
8) Go to church more

I know it's not 10 things and I know that these things may not seem all that life altering to you but trust me... Being an unorganized, fat, lapsed Catholic with no stick-to-itivness these things could make a HUGE difference. I will definitely let you know how it goes.

Let me know if you're up for the challenge. I'd like to find some people to help keep me accountable. I will try to make Thursday my day to blog about the steps I've taken (or my lack of taking any) towards my goals . Check in to see how I'm doing and to let me know how you're doing.

If you do a similar blog post tell people about my blog and I will try to figure out how to do the same for your blog. Thanks!

Playdo Day

2010-01-20T09:13:00.003-06:00

www.wordlesswednesday.com

Retail Therapy

2010-01-19T13:55:00.002-06:00

I like my job, I really do. I work at a bookstore. It's a perfect fit for me because I LOVE books. I love helping people find something to read. I love finding new stuff for myself to read. I love the people I work with. I've been doing this now for 9 years or so. It's a nice place to be.
Then there are the OTHER days. The days where I'm in the womens restroom mopping up pee. Not just a little pee a lot of pee. Like the person missed the toilet all together. My 5 year-old son even manages to get it into the bowl.
Or when I'm picking up stacks and stacks of books that have just been left on the floor in the kids section. Whole shelves just knocked clear. Pages ripped, plastic wrap pulled off, stickers... GONE.
Or when I spot a 4 or 5 year old by themselves in the kids department. Sometimes they've just made a break for it and there is an adult or older sibling hot on their trail but a lot of times they've been left there so the parent go shopping... IN ANOTHER STORE!!!!!
Another favorite that is more of a pet peeve than anything else are the people who make you look and look for a title or subject. You run around ignoring the phones because you really want to help this person with their project. Other customers are waiting but you are committed to giving your current customer excellent customer service. When you finally find the books and get them to the customer they want to know where they can leave them when they are done using them for their homework!!!
Oh, did I forget to mention the people who stay on their cell phones the whole time you're trying to help them. That's fun because you never know if they're talking to you or the person on the phone. FYI... Those are the people I ask the MOST questions of.

Sorry. Just needed to vent a bit. I like my job... I really do but sometimes people can drive me a bit wonky.

2010-01-18T09:10:00.002-06:00

So I do stuff. I make things. I get all excited about an endeavour and then let it fall to the wayside. I make excuses. I move on to something new. I'm a bit of a flake when it comes to this stuff.
For example: I got ALL excited about becoming a professional crafter. I made things. Heck, I even sold things! I was happy. I love to get messy. Paper and glue are so much fun to play with. It's a true outlet for me. Then it happened... I applied for a HUGE craft fair. I was so excited. I got ahead of myself planning on all of the stuff I was going to make for it. The day of the acceptance emails came. I got on-line. I saw the sender. My heart fluttered a little. Here it was. I hesitated KNOWING that it could be a negative response but surely not. I'd had such positive feedback from so many people. Alas, I...was... REJECTED. Well, I was put on the waiting list if some one else fell through. I was devestated. Frustrated. Heartbroken.
I convinced myself that all the other positive feedback I got was just people being polite. It really took the wind out of my sails. I've since gotten over it but have yet to get back that zest for crafting that I had before. I'm working on it. I've got some projects lined up. I'm also hoping to get into the Farmers Market in Bloomington IL with my friend Lauren.
I am nervous. Afraid that I will hold Lauren back. Afraid that I WILL get in and then not sell ANYTHING.
I know that this is like falling off a horse. You just have to get back up and try again. I think that will be one of my resolutions. To stick to it. Not let one rejection (or 2) get me down. DO what I love and what makes me happy regardless of what a couple of people may think. I know from personal experience that this is going to take some focus on my part. It ain't gonna be easy but I'm going to try.

A new year

2010-01-17T20:04:00.003-06:00

It's a new year and I am vowing a new blog. I've spent a lot of time trying to find a way to make my blog 'cool'. I wanted a huge following, right away. It didn't happen. I know that people looked at it but only a few have chosen to follow or even comment. I wanted to be able to create art and photos that everyone HAD to see. I started trying to hard. I'm gonna stop worrying about all that. I am going to blog for me!
Some days you may see a 'crafty' post or a post about my family, my joys, my frustrations (is that redundant?). You may even see contests or links to other blogs that I like. There may be photos. Who knows what I'll discover about myself.
I'm taking my new blogging cues from "Wreck This Journal' by Kerri Smith. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wreck-This-Journal/Keri-Smith/e/9780399533464/?itm=1&usri=Wreck+this+journal I got it from my mom and dad for Christmas and am having so much fun trying to break out of the confines I've placed on myself. I hope you'll join me but if not that's OK too.

One Crafty Mom and Two Ornery Kids: Crafty endeavours

2009-11-30T10:51:00.000-06:00

One Crafty Mom and Two Ornery Kids: Crafty endeavours

Crafty endeavours

2009-11-30T10:30:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that its been so long since my last post. Time is just speeding by.

I've not really talked about my 'crafting' in a while. I've been working on it. I have been frantically trying to finish up some special orders. I'll be mailing some off tomorrow. I did a craft fair which, although I only sold 2 things, was a pretty good time. I have had a bit of a blow to the ego though. I've been put on the waiting list for a craft fair I had really been looking forward to. Oh well. I'm still new to all of this. It happens. I imagine that there were a lot of people from last year that applied and got first dibs. Those are my excuses anyway. I will still attend the craft fair and I will try again next year. They've also invited me to sell on their site which I will look into. It's a really cool group.

http://funkyfinds.us/

http://www.artfire.com/users/FunkyFeisty

Over the summer my friend Lauren and I will hopefully be selling items at the farmer's market in Bloomington, IL (or maybe it's Normal, I'm never sure). She makes dolls out of old clothing. We have one that Claudia has named 'Coraline'. She's not allowed to leave Claudia's bed unless Claudia PERSONALLY removes her. She is well loved.

http://lmlowel.etsy.com/

A Walk in Fall

2009-11-06T13:15:00.004-06:00

What a great morning. Today is Clyde's fifth birthday. To celebrate we started out the day by going to River Legacy Park which has miles of walking paths. The weather was perfect, the leaves were changing and the kids actually behaved!
We watched a wooly bear cross our path. We were 'warned' by passers-by in the other direction of a coyote and a bobcat. Oddly enough the family walking with a 5 year old and a 2 year old did NOT see any of these things. Could it have been the peace and quiet that accompanied us on our walk?
I was awed by the beauty that fall is offering us here in Texas this year. We've had a lot of rain and the trees are actually holding on to those leaves for a bit longer than normal. I fell back a lot. I liked watching my kids and my husband intereact. And, I'll admit, the farther back I got the quieter it was.

Poor little wooly bear...

Ahh... She is definitely a daddy's girl

My FIVE year old.

Puhrty

Not sure what kind of bug this is but the kids though it was cool