Tag: Creativity

unraveled wednesday | 12.18.19

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~a friend is a present you give yourself~

Is unwrapping the same as unraveling? Of course not, silly. Today, Pat, my longtime friend of 33 years and I met for a long overdue lunch and reconnection. We’d not seen one another for nearly three months! We had a lot of catching up to do…and we did. We also celebrated my birthday (Nov); the lovely journal – despite the light’s glare – a gift from Pat, is made by an artist who lives in Oregon. After lunch, we stopped at a delightful store that sells all sorts of art supplies… I needed to replenish ink for my LAMY pen. And we both had our creative juices stirred a bit by some gorgeous iridescent watercolor paints; for sure, we’re coming back in 2020, just around the corner!

After two days of rain, today was sunny, lovely and cold! Perfect for spending quality friend time. Tho’ I have not included any knitting or other fun craft update in this post nor nary a word about this past week’s reads, I encourage you to join Kat and others for Unraveled Wednesday… lotsa good books and fun knitting projects are shared there!

Cheers~

sometimes mondays | 12.16.19…

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… are cold, wet – both rain and snow; a great jammies day; and rest and relaxation -especially since I’m plumb tuckered out from yesterday’s Christmas make-n-take tree ornaments’ party with 5 kiddies, 4 boys and 1 girl, ages 7, 5, 3, 2 and 1! This is the back story:

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When Dolly was 5 – 33 years ago – I had a similar party for her and three other little girls so their mamas could do a little unencumbered holiday shopping and have a few moments of peace ;-)). My mom was alive then and the two of us had a grand time planning, preparing and playing with the little girls – who also had a grand time making the crafts and being five! One of the crafts they made was a cloth angel (in center of photo) stuffed with cotton and simply tied with package-wrap ribbon. I still have the angel…and Dolly has the memories.

Fast forward to now: Dolly wanted to have a similar party (for Chris, Elias and her very. best friend’s three kids) and asked if I would host it; of course, I said yes and yes, I’d provide the craft experience and supplies. Top of the list: cloth angels.Yesterday was the party. And to that, we (Chris – my niece – and I ) also helped (made) elf ornaments.

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The two older boys, Din (7) and Chris (5), made angels and elves with the help of their moms and me… tho’ Din spent a goodly amount of time coloring a picture he drew on newsprint with magic marker crayons. The 3 year old and Elias, 2 years, played, mais oui, and the littlest, the girl who just had her first birthday Nov 16, mostly sat on her dad’s lap. The two moms, nieces Chris and Kayla and I were run ragged by the two younger boys; that Elias is a mover and strong. Norman, my sister and the best.friend’s husband solved all the world’s problems…

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All good things come to an end as did this day. Time for the kiddies to go home for bed and the adults, to collapse. I’m sure we all will remember the day with fond memories and who knows, maybe the little girl will recreate the day when she’s all grown with children or grands, too.

… are a great day for memories.

Cheers~

sunrise and naked trees…

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~today, 29 november, 6:55 am~

I often forget to look out the windows at the front of the house, especially in the morning. When I do, I see a totally different view of sunrise than when I step out on the deck. I happened to glance out the window this morning and saw the sky with its varying shades of pink, blue and a translucent grey/white? I quickly threw a coat on over my robe, exchanged my slippers for shoes and grabbed my iPhone and keys. Out the door I went  – for sunrises change with every passing second.  Click, Click, Click.

I have long had a fascination with naked trees. This photo reminds me of an oil painting I did when I was in high school. I often tell myself I should try my hand at recreating it. In fact, I’ve been thinking about doing a series of naked trees against the sky and sunrises/sunsets for quite a while now. Quite a while… By golly, I think I’m adding doing so to my “20 for 2020” list.* Never too early to start thinking about that.  I also want to thank Bonny for her post today that reminded me of this morning’s sunrise treat.

Have a grand weekend.

Cheers~

*and quiet as it’s kept, there’ll undoubtedly be some carryover from 2019, 2018.

PS. In case you missed this: starting Monday, Michelle GD is hosting Just Five Things – Holiday 2019 edition. It’s probably not to late to register.

 

unraveled wednesday| 10.30.2019 …

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~me, 2009~

I made the witch’s hat in 2009 for Kayla, who was then 9.  Fun to see my  then state-of-the-art smart phone. Obviously, I hadn’t (and still haven’t) perfected taking  state-of-the-art selfies…

So, here we are at the end of October…just 62 days left in this year! Where does the time go? How did 303 days unravel so fast in what seems like the blink of an eye? I know this month has almost whizzed by, partly because the last LOAD layout a day challenge for 2019 ends tomorrow. The prompts, based on Tom Hanks’ movies and career, have been not only fun but also informative. I have learned as well as enjoyed the stimulation. Over this calendar year, thanks to LOAD challenges in February, May, August and July, I’ve made a minimum of 97 scrapbook pages: stories of me, people (family & friends), places and things. I am not necessarily (at least I don’t think I am) moved by time-bound challenges: our layouts have to be posted by 3 AM, Pacific Standard Time (I’ve never been up at that hour) to qualify. I generally finish and post by 7 pm EST…however, I do think the accountability metric helps move me to completion. I wonder how I might translate that into other areas of my life?

The next 62 days are going to be busy, busy with birthdays: Norman’s is Friday, mine two weeks after that, two weeks later, Elias will be two, and then two weeks into December, my sister’s! That doesn’t even take into account Thanksgiving and Christmas preparation and celebrations! Nor the 1001 other activities: eye/dental and medical appointments, concerts and events, dates due, general life items, and projects on my calendar/planner.

Clearly, if ever, the time is here for me to call upon my better habits and say out LOUD: YES to NO! No, I won’t add a single solitary bright shiny new activity or project to an already packed list…and to that effect, I am not undertaking NABLOPOMO (even tho’ I don’t think it’s still in existence, I did post daily last November);  I am going to make a gratitude journal but it won’t be time bound, i.e, required to be completed within a 24 hour period! Saying YES to NO! will be a huge contribution to days filled with those activities that light my life and fill me up.

I’m continuing to practice the Continental knit stitch; am reading Just Mercy  and Stillness is the Key; started The Water Dancer and have several books on my phone that accompany me on my walks. I just remembered I (still ) have a Christmas stocking with a few/some rows to finish; guess I’ll resurrect and get movin’ on it again.

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday and Juliann for One Little Word monthly update.

Happy Halloween, y’all!

Cheers~

 

weekending| 8.26.19 …

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The weekend was filled with two activities I most enjoy:

  1. spending time with friends
  2. stitching

Friday

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On Fri (8.23.19), three friends and I went to Baltimore (I drove) to see a photographic exhibit of the Women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The women are African American quilters who gained national attention in the early 2000s. The exhibit,  displayed at the Reginald F. Lewis African American Museum of Art, features the photography of a reknown Baltimore photographer, Linda Day Clark, .

In 2002, the New York Times sent Day Clark to Gee’s Bend to photograph the quilters @home. Gee’s Bend is one of the poorest areas in the US. This current exhibition includes portraits of some of the quilters, their families and everyday life – as well as a display of four quilts (two shown above) owned by Linda Day Clark that have never been displayed before. They are exquisite!

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my first Gee’s Bend inspired quilt, 2009 ~ signed by the Gee’s Bend Quilters

     I first encountered the Gee’s Bend Quilters in 2009, on my maiden trip to Sisters Oregon. My friend Pat and I traveled there to take classes, especially a workshop taught by them. T’is an experience that has become one of our fondest memories. We returned again for a second  workshop in 2011.

Seeing the photos of the women we met, their home life, family (including grand children – and the quilts) was a back to the future experience. I have had all sorts of brainstorms and inspirations about how I plan to proceed and in particular, finish the quilt I began in 2017 – my latest trip to Sister. It will tie in beautifully. Sometimes I guess one just has to wait for the Universe to converge. Stay tuned…

Sunday

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Sunday was our monthly Friendstitch gathering, replete with a delicious spread! And the yummiest of desserts: lemon flavored cake and cookies!

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Margaret’s needlepointing a cute canvas featuring a dog suggesting a walk? Theresa’s knitting a baby sweater; Michelle, needlepointing a holiday piece (Christmas is 4 months away, just sayin’) and Pat is doing a cross stitch… I think she did all of the spool of thread. I played around with weaving and knitting.

Too soon the afternoon ended and we packed up til our Sept gathering.

T’was a lovely weekend and I’m so grateful to have spent it among and with friends!

Cheers~

tgif | 8.16.19 …

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thinking:  I’ve run out of steam;  made a list of 8 things to do today ~ so far I’m batting 50%. I’ve been taking it slow n’ easy…

grateful:  I’ve nowhere to be or anyplace to go today, tomorrow, Sunday …

inspiration: since Tuesday, I’ve been participating in a mini LOAD (layout a day);*  the theme is Yearbook/School Memories and it’s been lots of fun. Yesterday’s (Thursday)  topic: school lunches. Perfect ~  for this was also the day my Thursday stitching group met at Hilary’s – the brunch spread was phenomenal. Seasonal produce; quiche; and homemade peach ice cream! Yum!

fun: for this mini-LOAD, I am using a Traveler’s Notebook – it is the perfect size. I plan to use this size more often; I can feel my creative juices beginning to flow ~ who knows what adventures lie ahead?

Enjoy your weekend. And now, I’m back to creating today’s LOAD : Recess/Breaks is the topic.

Cheers~

*just 7 days compared to the month long events held February, May and October.

unraveled wednesday | 8.7.19 …

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~gingko leaves~

Not much on the horizon this week. I was looking over photos taken over the  past several days and rather surprised that the pickins were rather slim. I did so enjoy seeing these gingko leaves against the afternoon sky this past Saturday…as I wended my way home…

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…and this is another look at the journal. I went with an elastic band, found a small lock and keys  in my stash (who knew?) and just for fun, added them.

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I also added two bands on the inside front/back covers to help hold a journal in place…the fabric in the middle of the band is stretchy; hopefully, that will allow the cover to expand as my friend fills in her journal…she does a lot of tipping in of pages she’s culled from magazines, ephemera, etc… all which contribute to the journal’s growth.

Educated, the book and podcasts remain my faithful walking companions. I’m dipping into a lot of different nonfiction titles on habits and “unplugging” from the digital world. I’ll do a roundup soon.

Off to run a few errands before a 1pm hair appt…Joining Kat and friends for another round of unraveled wednesdays.

Cheers~

uraveled wednesday | 7.24.19 …

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I’m making a fabric cover for a journal and have hit a small, yet solvable, puzzle: how to create a closure. Could it be:

  • an elastic band, e.g., the type used on a Traveler’s Notebook? Do I have any grommets?
  • a ribbon that can be tied? Probably the easiest;
  • an elastic “frog” that fastens around a button? Can I find such an item? I can clearly see one in my mind’s eye.

I’m sure I’ll come up with the best solution. Moving right along…

On my daily walks, I’m reading (listening to) Educated by Tara Westover. It’s an interesting memoir and well narrated. I’m struck by the author’s ability to translate her vivid childhood memories  into very readable descriptive prose. I don’t normally give stars to books but if I were, I’d easily give this one 3.8 stars.

Time to take a walk and enjoy this absolutely beautiful cooler day!

Joining Kat and friends for another installment of unraveled wednesday..

Cheers~

friendstitchin sunday | 7.21.19…

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We had a delightful Sunday afternoon gathering,  a tasty lunch: salads, fruit, sun chips, desserts, punctuated by delicious orange mimosas. The day  was H-O-T, not fit for man or beast , but we were cool, calm and collected (despite the delicious orange mimosas. I know we each had more than one refill!)

Margaret – center photo – stitched the binding on a table runner and proudly displayed the  finished piece; it is lovely. Michelle stitched on a Santa cross stitch – hey, it’s almost Christmas  in July ( the 25th is just days away). Pat was cutting out pieces for a small quilt she’s hand stitching and I played with my weaving: the circular loom and the fabric weave. Nor sure what I’ll do with them but I do enjoy the process… very mindful .

Too soon it was time to go.

Friendstitchin’ Sundays: So grateful for good friends, good food, good time. We missed friend Theresa, who is  on holiday in Ireland.