turtle creek quilts

simplify

you ever have one of those weeks? (months or even years)

everything seems to be snowballing and all you want to do is make things simple and drama-free

tis that time of year. 

 it seems as if i am being pulled in a million different directions and no where in particular.

i recently stumbled upon a great blog www.mackinacislandblog.com its reminding me of the simpler life.

the life i want and need right now.

my dear friend stacey is going through some major changes in her life and she is such an inspiration

i love reading her blog to see what her latest adventure is http://mylifeinrealtime.wordpress.com

i need this coming year to be the year of me....not in a conceited way...but in a taking care of me way  i have let things get out of control, health-wise i am talking here folks. i have all the tools i need , and most of the knowledge. it is time to put them into play here. its time to not be tired all the time, get better sleeping habits. get off the couch and work on me and my art.

for the past few years i have been blubbering about what so and so is getting to do ...and i am not   what so and so is being recognized for....and i am not , whatever someone else is or has or has done ...and i have not. and quite frankly i am SO SICK of hearing myself on this subject. enough.

it is going to be a long process, and sometimes not easy. but i am vowing here and now to take better care of ME. as my very wise and much loved aunt said to me once....honey it didn't all go on at once, and it isn't all coming off at once.

i was always taught not to ask for much for yourself, that it was selfish. but you know what, i am asking for this...i am asking for your support, your cheerleading me along, your understanding, and any words of encouragement you might have. i am asking it. so bring it on....please:)

i have this hanging near my door , it reminds me of what i want ....

what i collect....

when i was a little girl i was fascinated by my mother's salt and pepper shaker collection.  it was very rarely all on display at once , i think its now over 400 sets that she has!   all sorts, tons from occupied japan.   silly ones, pretty ones and some very plain ones. all gifts from friends and loved ones who knew she collected them.

for years i have either lived in too small of places, like a sailboat or a travel trailor, or was in transition between stable places to live....not stables as in horses...haha .  so now i am in a little single wide mobile home and its cozy and homey inside and i was in the kitchen yesterday and realized  hey i finally do have a collection.....salt and pepper shakers!

how funny is that? i have a cool set that my friends matti and donald got me of the pink ladies and t-birds jackets from the movie grease~very cool.....acorns and birds from mom....watering cans , i bought those for me....a squirrel holding acorns , santa's boots in the snow those are from mark, and a fun set of a soda glass and a basket of fries from my sister in law.  i am finding it fun to have these! and i have been outbid on ebay for a set of yoda salt and pepper shakers....yes folks YODA.....how COOL would that be!

so now when people ask what i collect , and they do i can honestly say i do have a collection now!

i wonder what will be next! 
 

my wish list

dear santa.....

i have been a very good and busy girl this year

i have not made a list in a long long time for you

so i thought what the heck....

i would like the following things...

i would like a tiny shopping spree at haberman fabrics...seriously about 30 dollars should do ...well maybe 50 if i hit the ribbon and button section.

the same spree at guildcrafters in berkley....they have some cool stuff there

a roll of postage stamps and a cool holder for them...i like mailing letters and am wayyyy behind mailing wedding thank you notes!

these really cool hand forged knitting needles:

are they not the coolest santa i mean really!

some new tennis shoes

and a membership to fitzone for women

see not much....ok maybe it is

but i would be happy with stamps!

what's on your wish list this year?

candlelight advent tea

i was invited to rita's candlelight advent tea at her church recently, what a beautiful night!

i pitched in and made some incredibly delicious eggrolls , with turkey and stuffing! rita whipped up some amazing cranberry relish and we had gravy for dipping too! along with this we had a wild green salad and some delicious coconut cake that her pastor mary margaret had made!

it was a night filled with friends, old and new. beautiful table decorations. a christmas tree filled with symbols of faith, and some inspirational music provided by an incredibly talented lady who played the hammered dulcimer and celtic harp.

i am already thinking of things for next years table to help out with.......i am thinking finger sandwiches and goodies of such. and i think i will scour the sales after the holidays for some interesting china and things!

enjoy the photos!

 
 
 
our little dysfunctional table...people were jealous of our antlers....there might be angel halo's next year 

ornament exchange & catching up

what a busy week so far

and it seems like i have done nothing!

winter and its chill has gripped us here in southeast michigan with its wicked ways

so funny today i thought hey run into that big box store and just pick up a few yards of fabric for curtains how busy can they be.....HELLO ~ 5pm two weeks before christmas, after have worked retail the past 28 years....i never even found a parking spot. just left. hahahaha~what was i thinking!

seriously aside from the grocery store and popping into home depot when taking mark to work i have not been in a store since OCTOBER! i know bad huh? i haven't needed anything though, and well honestly hadn't had any extra $ to go purchasing things.

i have scaled back my christmas gift-giving to the bare bones. just mom and dad and my brother and sister in law want to do a little exchange with us, seeing it will be just the 6 of us for the holidays. i don't even think mark and i are exchanging anything, we had the honeymoon and got each other things then for the holidays!

it's soul sucking how much planning this wedding did to me. i am DEFIANTLY starting on next year's gift giving soon, and not just holiday  gift giving, get all birthdays and such started toot sweet!  i think we just have four kids to get something for , britany and chris want a game called 'fact or crap' and wyatt and emmett....they are so fun to get things for i have to reign mark in from picking out the most elaborate things....so funny!

there are a few things we want to do in the next two weeks, walk through northville at night and see all the lights and window displays, take the hines drive holiday light drive, spend time together planning what  we want to do in the next year~ up soon , painting the bedroom!

speaking of which i have come to the conclusion that i don't like the looks of that room. its very tiny and painted a horrid chalky grey. so while at home depot one day i stumbled across a pretty cottage white color called 'swiss coffee' , first i thought of a color in there then my friend jerry pointed out that i wanted to use the white color or a light one to make it look bigger. and there were no personal things in there. just the bed, a tv and a small dresser....so after being gifted a larger tv that lynn no longer needed(thanks lynn!!!) and the paint, i am on the hunt for something to put in that room.....DUH make a cool wall hanging for there and add some photos....i need to get two small bedside tables and some table lamps and we need new pillows so its on its way! thank goodness!!!

our art group had its annual holiday party last weekend at a local irish pub and had fun just visiting and we did something different this year. normally we have a yankee gift exchange with a tool you can use in your art, but this year with the economy hitting us all in the face we thought an ornament exchange would be fun! i was lucky enough to get an awesome little paper pieced ornament that shannon made, and anne got the one i made! sandy also surprised lynn and i with a cool skull lace she made and my favorite holiday candies!

the most fun part of the night was when sandy and her husband pat, joined us after at the starting gate where mark sings on saturday night! we had a blast laughing and catching up with each other,,,,bigger bonus of the night ~ they had christmas cheesecake on the menu! peppermint cheesecake with a cookie crust, yes virginia there is a santa claus!

 

here is my ornament that anne received

and here is the very pretty one i got from shannon

and the skull lace...with glow in the dark thread how cool!

so yeah busy doing stuff this past week, up next? the home depot holiday party tomorrow, it will be good to see some old friends. this time i am a guest , not on the planning committee and i can sit back and enjoy it!

by the way , 1st new years resolution is to blog more with more art!   

the funniest christmas list.....EVER!

now i am going to share this list with you. it is from my best friend rita's nephew, who is going to be 11 in january. this boy is either going to be the next tim gunn or with his already chiseled good looks be the most sought after man who is into women but in touch with his feminine side too!

check it out:

*= most wanted

1. rebecca rubin american girl doll with pierced ears

2. american girl doll clothes

*3. a yorkshire terrier/poodle mix

*4. pet supplies for the dog

5. legos

*6. green motor scooter with seat

*7. 36g 2nd generation ipod touch

8. rubber case with belt clip for ipod touch

9. american girl stuff

*10.p.s.p. go w/midnight blue las angeles (color black)

*11. cell phone ~blackberry storm with case and unlimited texting

*12. ipod bose system with earphones and earbuds

13. knitting set for kids

*14. 4 stop watches

15. a new sled

16. 12 fliptricks

17. blond liv doll

*18. the sims 3 computer game

*19. nv touch cell phone with unlimited texting

20. ipod nano with video camera

ok seriously i hope you are laughing as hard as i am!

with all the cell phones and scooter WITH a seat i think he might be going into some sort of "business" OR just a very popular kid who has alot to say!  

   now there are glimmers of a soon to be 11 year old in there~ a new sled, and the fliptricks, and the old standby legos.

BUT what the HECK is up with the FOUR stopwatches...seriously its so funny!

let the list making go on and on...this stuff is too wild for me even to make it up!

hahahaha!

i'll give you a dollar

i know you have had this feeling. we all have.

i am glad i live in a small place right now, when i come home i check all 4 rooms for anyone who might have gotten past the lazy beagle. no one is ever there...thank goodness!

life is alot like this poster you know?

people are afraid to go out on a limb or into that basement and do something different , by themselves, or meeting a new group of people

today is a day you should venture into the basement first....

i'll give you a dollar!

something i made for myself!

you know how it is,,,,as artist we are constantly needing something to do...keep our minds creative and active. and times we need just something simple and easy to do just for us.

i finally finished my scarf i was making! i love the yarns i used manos of course, personal favorite and some lovely finger lace weight angora my sister gave me for christmas last year . the two worked great together to make the scarf, and i even have enough of both to have some fingerless gloves made for me....if i can trade swap with someone for this,,,,ahem katy hehe

sorry the photos aren't so great i wanted to get this posted , as i have been a bit absent from my blog lately!

enjoy!

 
 
 

revelations

after a few weeks of sitting around, not being able to force myself to do anything i am finally ....FINALLY feeling like myself again.

the creative energy was all but gone. something zapped it from me.

i have an art show i am participating in at the end of this month and since it was announced i have been wrestling with myself about what to make. i used to do shows in florida, more country and massive amounts of product. several reasons why i stopped. one main one was i wanted to make things a little more personal and detailed ~ not conveyor belt style 'santa's sweatshop'  style work. which is what it was becoming. nothing unique anymore . so i stopped.....just stopped. that was over 10 years ago. and i came up with what i like to make...and what i am good at, not what people wanted me to make and basically give to them.

now it is time.

its time to stop this perhaps self-imposed exile i have had myself in, i looked up the meaning check it out:

   *Self-exile is often practiced as a form of protest, to avoid persecution, an act of shame or repentance, or isolating oneself to be able to devote time to a particular thing.*

the last part of the definition is so not what i have been doing. has it been repentance? maybe.   protest, perhaps.  avoid persecution, yes for sure no one likes to be criticized, and i had plenty of that going on for a long long time.

maybe its all the time i have spent alone the past month. the wedding is over. i don't have to think about that planning anymore, truly soul sucking even for a simple picnic wedding. i have had time to just decompress and adjust to not having to do anything but simply do what i have been wanting to do for so long. and you know maybe that is it , really. always being at the becon call of your employer, family, friends, etc and finally being able to just be.....its very scary and exciting and quite frankly hard to get used to. almost like a junkie coming off whatever they have been dependent on for so long, is the best way i can describe it.

so almost like a hand smacking you on your forehead is  what i feel right now.

i have everything i need.....

 my husband and i were 2nd place winners tonight in a trivia contest, we had a blast! i started thinking of all the stuff we do together to just have fun, like today we spent 5 hours watching crappy movies and about every half hour saying 'what should we do today?' loosers hahaha. seriously we kept cracking up we could not think of a thing.  so when my dear friend melanie said it was trivia night we were in~ and i thought , you don't need fancy trips, lavish lifestyle, or endless bank accounts~ you have what you need right in front of you.  friends, family, endless creativity surging throughout your head and soul, a truly supportive man who loves and adores you(even if that is still such an odd concept to me....i have had some relationship issues in the past)

i have everything i need.....and its time i share it now.

share my talents, my stories, my visions....myself.

welcome!

this time of year is more like new year's to me than new year's itself

why?

its time for school to start..the end of summer and the plants all change to their fall colorfest

making new friends, keeping up with old friends. planning for upcoming holidays and festivities.

i am adjusting to not being in a regular job right now and having mark back on a day shift schedule

after almost 2 years of overnight shift, i think i am making a harder adjustment than him!

i got into the very bad routine of watching tv with the dog til at least midnight, then just falling

asleep on the couch. yeah the couch that needs new foam in the cushions that is a bit uncomfortable

and the last time mark sat on it said "holy crap! thats uncomfortable" although i have been telling

him this for at least 6 months now....hahaha

i have also had alot of 'alone' time with myself, sort of retreating from people i know and normally

chat or talk to everyday , i am trying to come to a happy medium about what i want in life and how

to achieve it. i have come to the realization about many things in the past month.

most are all good, the ones that aren't so good~ well i am learning to accept and work within the

realms of what it all is.

so to this time of year that is MY new year's time

i say welcome....

new ideas, new ways to live, reconnecting with those i have lost track of, keeping up with the

friends and loved ones i have in my life.