Lost....in the mail??....or on TV??

My time is short today but I wanted to share with you the adorable piece of art that I got in the mail yesterday from Ang. We did a swap together. The piece I did for her is still somewhere in the mail hopefully not lost!



This is "Peace Girl" and she has tiny glittery stars in her hair and on her necklace but they don't show up in the scan....plus her lips are juicy and have just a touch of glitter, too. She's just about the cutest thing I've seen lately and I love her. She will be a most happy and cheerful addition to my studio. Thank you, Ang!

I'm sorry this is so short but it's a busy day plus I have to be ready for tonight. I will be glued to the tv from 8PM until 10PM....LOST is back!!!! I'm so excited! I've missed my bad boys and can't wait to see them again. Last night I watched the rerun of the last episode and that just whetted my appetite for more!

ABC Wednesday....B is for....

Bricks....this building always catches my eye when we pass by it because it has such unusual brickwork. This photo is clickable to see it larger.

I'm participating in ABC Wednesday which is through Denise's blog. Come join in.

Not Being Very Creative!

After the past few days I'm feeling really light-headed. Is it because of the flu bug or just the excitement over my drawing? Who knows. The one thing I can tell you for sure is I have not been very creative over the last week! I've been trying to think about how I could interpret all this "sicky" stuff into something positive but for the life of me I can't do it!! I guess I'm just going to have to accept that for one week, while I wasn't feeling good, that I wasn't creative.

On Sunday (the 20th) I did this list:

1. Keep doing art each day. Even if it's just a scribble.

2. Eat healthy meals and drink plenty of water. Try some new recipes and experiment a little.

3. Read more and watch less tv. I don't really "watch" that much tv but it is on most of the time. When I'm home alone I like the noise of it to keep me company but I think I'll try putting on some music instead and see how that works.

4. Don't sit around in my jammies until late afternoon!! I do this a lot especially when it's cold and if I don't have to get out for anything. But I should make an effort to get dressed and make myself presentable!!

5. Take more photos. I've been posting a few things on my photo blog and trying to keep that going this year. I like taking photos but around here the subject matter is slim at times! And I don't always get out every day....see #4!

6. Write in my journal every day.


About the only thing I managed to do from the list was to read! I definitely didn't get out of my jammies most days, I didn't do much (make that zero) art, I didn't eat much except Jello and rice cereal, and I didn't take any photos or write in my journal!! Mostly I slept. There were several days when I had very creative hair!! You know, after you stay in bed for hours and hours and your hair kinda goes every which way....that's creative, isn't it? Hey, I'm trying!

Since I missed my Sunday update on the 27th due to my excitement over the magazine, I'm just going to continue with this same list for this week and hope that I can at least manage to do one or two of these things.

So for now, no photos, no art, nothing much to show for the past week except that I'm still here.

I'm a Published Artist!!!

First of all, I'm feeling somewhat better although I did have a bit of a set-back. HB and I went grocery shopping on Saturday and I think I over-did it. When I got home I didn't even have enough energy to make myself something to eat....but my sweetie took over and made me rest, fixed me some food, and put away the groceries.

Then he went down to the mailbox and when he came back I got the surprise of my life! Last year I had been contacted by Stampington regarding the drawing I did for the Bloglandia Ball. They said it was one of the photos being considered for the story and if they used it they would send me a complimentary issue of the magazine.

Yep!! I received my issue in yesterday's mail! They included my art deco lady in the article! I'm still walking around in a daze over this. I know you all probably think I'm nuts but this is BIG TIME for me. I want to thank Elizabeth for coming up with the idea for the ball because without that I wouldn't be in the magazine! Here is the front of the magazine....



And here's the page where my gal appears....



That's just a paperweight on the corner. It's not easy taking a photo of something from a brand new magazine. It didn't want to lay open for me. If I didn't look such a wreck from being sick I would have held it up but....no way!! And just in case you can't remember, here is my gal that went to the ball....



The only slight problem with this whole thing is with the credits. They have incorrectly said my picture appears on page 131 when in fact it's on page 133....so someone else's credits are messed up too. But I'm in there and I'm thrilled beyond words can explain.

Almost Better....

I'm beginning to feel human again! This was the strangest bug I've ever had. I usually don't get sick that often but when I do it's a doozy.

We've been having very cold, rainy weather and that didn't help matters much. HB has made a fire every evening and I huddle under a pile of blankets. Earlier he snapped me and my buddy snoozing on the couch....



Right before I got hit with this bug I had been working on a picture. I like everything about it except the HAIR!!! Why do I have such a horrible time with hair? I wanted her to have dark hair but then how do you have highlights? Then I decided I wanted some loose tendrils flying around but they ended up looking like a cross between Captain Hook and Medusa!! But here she is anyway....



I guess it's back to the drawing board for me and hair! Plus I have to add some shading and other details but it's what I have at the moment.

Because I haven't felt good I haven't visited any blogs in several days and may be pretty slow about getting around to everyone but be patient with me....I'll make it sooner or later! Same with answering emails and such. I am so appreciative of all the messages I've received. Thank you all.

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On another note, one of the benefits (if you can call it that!) of being sick is plenty of time to read. That's pretty much what I did when I wasn't sleeping. One of the books I read was "Knitting" by Anne Bartlett. I enjoyed this book even though the main character was not very warm and fuzzy. I gave her some slack because she had just lost her husband a few months ago. Mostly I found it to be a bit quirky as are the characters. Maybe it was just my fever induced interest but so far this year I've read four books and this has been my favorite of them.

Down For the Count....

This is going to be very quick as I have some kind of yukky bug. It came on like a freight train yesterday afternoon and has knocked me out! So if I don't post anything for a couple of days, you'll know why. Also thanks to everyone for all your comments on Rhonda!

And here is my first "ABC Wednesday" photo....



I think this is clickable....it is the big tower sign for Antelope Valley Mall and I thought it was extra appropriate since it has arches at the bottom.

It's Party Time....

Being an only child I was always perfectly happy to entertain myself and one of my most favorite things was paper dolls. I had tons of them. Every Saturday morning my mom and I got all dressed up and we went shopping (yes, back then you got dressed up to go shopping!) When she was finished with all her errands she would always take me to the Woolworth's or one of the other dime stores and I could get something. Most of the time it would be paper dolls.

Then there were the old catalogs. When Mom was finished with them I could have them and I loved it because not only could I cut out tons of paper dolls but I could also cut out furniture and all the things to make houses for the paper dolls.

Then as I got older, I've told you that Gail and I used to spend hours drawing women in evening gowns and other fabulous attire! We fashioned our women after the old Frederick's of Hollywood catalogs that were all hand-drawn at that time....no real models were used in them back then!

My background in Paper Dollology goes way back! So it was with great pleasure that I read that Norah's was having a paper doll party! I was a bit slow getting started and then yesterday I didn't have much computer time but finally here is my paper doll! I think I'm calling her Rhonda because of her reddish hair....if you're about my age then you'll know who Rhonda Fleming is!! Also that's the name of my little red Honda! But who cares about that right now! Here is Rhonda the paper doll....

All in pieces



And then here she is all excited to meet everyone and join in the party....



The pictures aren't the greatest but with the current cloudiness it was the best I could manage. You can see that Rhonda is a bit of a retro girl....maybe even a little bit hippy with her "flower child" dress and boots. She can't decide if she wants to be a little girl or grow up and be a woman! So she's a little bit of both and having fun while she can. Party on!!!!

My Sunday Creative Living List....

Because I have a tough time keeping everything in my head, I've decided to start making a list on Sunday of some of the things I want to do for the week. Sara has been doing this and I decided to give it a try.

1. Keep doing art each day. Even if it's just a scribble.

2. Eat healthy meals and drink plenty of water. Try some new recipes and experiment a little.

3. Read more and watch less tv. I don't really "watch" that much tv but it is on most of the time. When I'm home alone I like the noise of it to keep me company but I think I'll try putting on some music instead and see how that works.

4. Don't sit around in my jammies until late afternoon!! I do this a lot especially when it's cold and if I don't have to get out for anything. But I should make an effort to get dressed and make myself presentable!!

5. Take more photos. I've been posting a few things on my photo blog and trying to keep that going this year. I like taking photos but around here the subject matter is slim at times! And I don't always get out every day....see #4!

6. Write in my journal every day.

Now if I can do even a small portion of these things I'll feel good. Someone was talking about trying for 5% instead of going for 100% and I think that makes sense. If I look at projects and think about the whole thing then I get overwhelmed and don't even begin but if I just tell myself I only have to do 5% today, then I might be able to accomplish a lot more. I don't remember where I read that so if it was on your blog let me know and I'll give credit.

I'm trying to think of something I can make for the One World One Heart Giveaway and my mind is blank! If anyone has any suggestions feel free to offer them. I also haven't made any Valentines yet! But then that's not unusual for me anymore. I can't seem to get in sync with everything. Holidays seem to come around a whole lot faster than they used to!! Either that or I'm getting slower....and that can't be true!

Tag!! I'm It....

I've been tagged by Violette to tell 5 things about myself that are weird or random. This is gonna be a toughie since I've done this a few times in the past and you all know I'm just not that weird!! That's a joke, people!

Here are the rules: Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog or by e-mailing them.

So here goes:
1. I'm basically a loner but I also like to have people around....just not all the time. I could never have people just popping into my house at all hours of the day and night. I like my quiet times too much.

2. I love playing games on the computer....Spider Solitaire, Bejeweled, and Mah Jongg are ones I like to play. Sometimes I play late at night when HB has gone to bed. The games are more entertaining than tv most of the time!

3. We seldom eat at fast-food restaurants. We've lived in this area since 2001 and I think we've eaten in maybe 3 or 4 fast food places in all that time. Personally I like "real" food and not that junk they serve! If someone opened up a health food fast food place I might be interested.

4. I've told this before but I'm not a phone person. I think about calling people all the time but it usually doesn't happen because I just hate to talk on the phone! Maybe that's because for so many years my jobs involved talking on the phone....or maybe I'm just a weird person. Which do you think??!!

5. I don't fit the usual stereotypes about women. I hate shopping, I don't like diamonds or most other jewels, furs, and such, I don't like gossip, and I'm not very girly. But I like drawing that kind of woman! What does that say about me??

Sorry those were so boring but I've just about run out of weird and random things to say about myself! Plus I don't really have an exciting life full of adventure and such. I'm a fairly ordinary person.

I'm not going to tag anyone for this because most people I know have done it already but if you want to do it just go ahead and give it a whirl....and let me know so I can come read your answers.

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I told you I would have some art to share with you and I finally finished a couple of things. Nothing too great but here's a face I did....



And I finished a couple of the mermaids I showed last week....






EDITED: Both of these have very intense color but it didn't come through in the scan. I waited until this morning (Sat) to take some photos and they came out better so I've made the switch. The bottom mermaid has a light blue background but it isn't showing much even in the photo....and the top mermaid has a green and blue body and fin but it isn't showing very well either. Actually the bottom mermaid is very pretty in real life as I used Twinkling H2Os and she shimmers.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Potpourri....

Well, after my de-lurking post a few days ago I forgot to mention that I had several people who de-lurked!! A big thank you to Orlenna, Ros, and Mari-Nanci who left comments. I hope you continue to visit and don't be shy!! See....nothing bad happened.

On the home front, HB is doing much better. One more test to be done and then he doesn't have to see the doctor for a couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone who has asked about him, and also a huge thank you for all your thoughts and prayers during all this. I really appreciate it.

I haven't posted much lately but now one item has been received so I can share it with you. I did this drawing....



I used some chalks to do the color on this. I like the softness of the colors and was happy with the way it turned out. You know I have problems working with color!!

There are a couple more in the mail that should be arriving in the next few days so hopefully I'll be able to show them soon. I'm still working on my mermaids that I showed earlier. But I've also been reading through my Cloth Paper Scissors magazines (I have them all) and thinking about creativity and how it works.

If you haven't been over to Leah's blog recently she had posted a link to TED. This was new to me so I followed this link to listen to a fantastic speech by the author Isabel Allende. If you haven't listened to it I can guarantee you will enjoy it. She is funny and speaks about passion and feminism and strong women....and it's definitely worth a few minutes of your time.

Being a daily reader of Crazy Aunt Purl's blog I was especially interested in this recent post about her crock pot!! Today I decided to try her recipe and here's what it looked like when I got it started....



It turned out yummy and HB enjoyed it. I used lots of veggies so I had plenty to eat and then I thickened the juices at the end to make a gravy. Good and healthy and easy peasy!

I Had a Creative Monday....

Monday was a day of errands but I decided to look at it from a creative viewpoint. Afterall I was creating part of my life. And buying groceries is creative....you must choose what you want to eat, what ingredients you need to make a certain recipe, decide between the green peppers or the package of red and orange ones (I chose the latter!)....it's just how you look at it all.

I wish now that I had taken my camera into the store with me....can you do that? I guess there wouldn't be any reason you couldn't. Sometimes the way fruits and vegetables are arranged is very creative. All those different textures and colors piled up in nice neat little displays is very beautiful.

And the day was beautiful, too. A bit cool early on but as the day progressed it got warmer....the sun was out the whole time, not much breeze and I wore a long sleeved tee-shirt and was comfortable the whole time. Ya gotta love the weather in Southern California!!

So that was my day....with a little side trip to Joann's where I used a couple of coupons to buy new paintbrushes. I was good though and didn't go anywhere near Barnes & Noble!! Oh, I almost forgot, I went to our 99 Cent Store, too just to see what they had for Valentine's Day goodies. I love going to that store! I could spend hours in there just looking at all the stuff they have for 99 cents!! I bought a few little bits and pieces and resisted the rest!

I hope you had a good start to your week and that you noticed how it was creative. And I promise to have something to show you in the next few days. Some things are winging there way to people right now so soon they should arrive and then I can show you. After all this build-up you're probably expecting Rembrandts but they aren't!! Just a couple of drawings I did but I've been using color!!

A Trashy Afternoon....

Thanks to Leah and CED2008 I'm constantly thinking about the ways I'm being creative....and I'm enjoying it. I don't always have pictures of everything because that would be difficult plus I'm sure a bit boring!!

If you've read this blog for any length of time then you know I love paper and I hate to throw it out....especially if it may have any use whatsoever. But we get a lot of junk mail. I mean a LOT!! For awhile I was keeping it to make paper mache but lately I haven't been using much paper mache....make that none, zero, zip!!....so I threw out all my bags of shredded paper. Yes, I had trash bags filled with shredded paper! Hey, you just never know when you might get the sudden urge to make paper pulp! It could happen.

In our house we are the proud owners of not one but three shredders! Yep! I said three. There's the old one that just makes strips. That one is up in the studio and doesn't get used much. Then I have a cross-cut shredder and so does HB. There are times when they're both going at the same time! I'm a firm believer that nothing goes into the trash that may have our names on it! I shred things that probably don't need to be shredded but better safe than sorry is my motto!

So yesterday I looked at my plain, simple box that holds the items to be shredded and it just looked so pitiful....it's an empty file folder box that sits on the shelf in the office. I decided to make it look a little nicer. What do you think?



I used a catalog from a paper place (I thought that was appropriate!) and just tore pages and glued them all over the box....even the bottom. Here it is at work....



I think that's being creative on a lazy Sunday afternoon plus it will give me pleasure to look over and see all those pretty colors instead of just a plain old file folder box. Maybe I'll even shred things more often and not wait until the box is overflowing!

I know it isn't a work of art or anything even close but it was fun and I did create something from nothing which is always one of my favorite things to do. Next I'm going to cover the box that I use for things that need filing. Soon I may have a riot of color here in the office and all of it from junk mail or throw-away catalogs.

Are You Lurking??

Thanks to Julie I've learned that it's De-Lurker Week. So are you a lurker?? Don't be afraid to come out. I promise I won't bite! I'm really a nice person and I love to meet new people so de-lurk yourself!!



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I'm still being creative every day and finding more and more ways of recognizing it. I find myself thinking about it at weird times during the day and I'll think "Oh, yeah....I'm being creative!" I came across this site where they listed a few tips for being more creative:

"1. Keep a writing or drawing journal. Keeping a journal is one of the most powerful ways to calm the mind, take inventory of your thoughts, and open the doors to expressing yourself more fully. It doesn't matter whether you consider yourself a writer or an artist, because this journal is just for you and your personal journey. Journaling can be a way to vent anger, spill sorrow, and revel in accomplishments. It can be a love letter to yourself, an instrument of confidence-building, a method of clearing the mind and finding out who you really are.

2. Use jasmine. The fragrance of jasmine incense or essential oil creates a positive state of consciousness that is particularly conducive to journaling. Its sweet, fresh fragrance inspires creativity, creates a soothing atmosphere, and leaves one refreshed and clear in mind and spirit. Jasmine is uplifting, balancing, helps with stress and anxiety, and builds self-confidence.

3. Warm-ups for journaling: write about your day; write an observation of the natural world or what you see out your window; write a letter to a parent or child; write a poem to your beloved; write about a memorable event; write down a question for which you believe you have no answers at the moment.

4. If drawing is your medium, draw what you see or what you feel, or even make a sketch of how you would like things or people to be. This is the time for pure fantasy, so let your hand fly over the pages with pencil or brush. A journal that combines writing and drawing may be the best way to tap into all sides of your creativity and to fully express what you feel.

5. Surround yourself with the right colors for creativity. Black, which represents the unknown, is a stimulant to the release of feelings and thoughts. Violet is the color of creativity, and purple the color of passion. Red is creation itself, passion, energy, and stamina. Orange encourages playfulness and vitality, and yellow stimulates the mind. Choosing a little of several of these colors in each of your rooms will greatly enhance your creative energy in anything and everything in your life.

6. You don't have to be an artist to see like one. Anyone can appreciate color, form, content, and style. You don't need to be a musician to hear like one. Open your ears to all the sounds and cadences of life. Not a dancer? You can still feel the rhythm in the spring of your walk, add sass to your stance and grace to every move you make.

Whenever the opportunity comes up to sing in a choir, paint part of a community mural, dance at your reunion, wrap a present with whimsy, enter your home decorations in a local contest, or just garnish dinner with a rosette of radishes, do it! Creativity is not just song, art, and dance. It's living with style."

I love that last line....it's living with style. Sometimes I think we have such a narrow idea of what being creative means that we shut ourselves down, thinking we don't fit the mold. Combing your hair can be creative! Maybe today you decide to part it on a different side or swope that one loose curl down over your eye or tie it back with a ribbon and stick a flower in it. You can also be creative by writing a note to someone you haven't talked to in a long time. Tell them something funny that happened to you....make them laugh. Paint polka dots on your shoes! Bake cookies and add something different to the batter. There's no way you can NOT be creative if you're alive!! Recognize your own creativity and then see if you can expand on it. Learn something new, try an interesting recipe for dinner tonight, wear a different fragrance, tie your shoes with ribbons, or just be silly! It's all about expressing yourself.

I'm working on some drawings that I still can't show you. I know that sounds like a cop out but it's true. I owe so many people, and I'm trying to catch up on some of that. As soon as things get into the mail and are received then I'll share with you what I've been creating.

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Are you STILL lurking?? Stop that! Be brave. Leave me a comment. That's being creative, too!!

Let's Give Peace a Chance....

While blog-hopping today I came acrossAngela's blog and she led me here to this site for world peace.



Please take a moment and visit and then get on the Peace Train yourself. You can get the logo for your own blog. Together maybe we can let the world know that WE WANT PEACE!!

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I did do some cleaning on the studio but then after I had cleared a space on the worktable it looked so inviting that I sat down and started messing around with things. So the clean studio will have to wait a bit longer!

This afternoon is HB's follow-up doctor's appointment to get the results of all his tests. Keep thinking good thoughts!

I Forgot!!....and Some Art, Too

I'm waaaay late doing this!! I was tagged by Lee back on Dec 16th to tell 7 random things about myself. Then HB got sick and I didn't think about it until last night when I was looking through some drafts on my blog....and I found where I had started this and then never finished it! My apologies, Lee. I guess better late than never. huh?

1. I'm an only child (I've told this before so it won't be a surprise to most of you!)

2. I don't know how to swim! And at my age I doubt that I'll be learning anytime soon.

3. My shoe size is 7.5 - I know that's something you've all been wondering about, isn't it?!!

4. I'm about 5' 4" tall. Isn't that something you've always wanted to know, too?!

5. I've told so much about myself on this blog that I doubt if I can come up with much you don't already know about me!

6. I'm not musically inclined unless you count the fact that I like to listen to music.

7. My eyes are on different levels. With my glasses on it isn't quite so noticeable.

I'm not going to tag anyone to do this but if you want to do it, then be my guest.

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I've been doing a lot of drawing over the past several days. Some things I can't show because they're going out to people....I'll show them when I know they've arrived. I can show you a couple of black and white drawings. These aren't finished yet but here they are in their raw state....



Another unfinished mermaid....



And just so you know I draw some real stinkers once in awhile, here is one I had an idea for but it didn't come out like I wanted.



Last, I'd like to ask if you think I should clean my studio space....



This is an accumulation from before Christmas! I've been working on it most of today and hopefully it won't look like this by tomorrow.

Awards, Snow (!!) and Some Creativity....

Sue has given me the You Make My Day Award! This is my second one. Thank you, Sue. Last time I forgot to post the rules for this so here they are:

"Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!"

This time I'll award this to the following people - Sue (right back at you!), Gemma, Giggles, Sharon, Lisa, and Lia.

Each one of these blogs makes my day. Thank you to every one of you for being an inspiration and for bringing so much to the blogging community. As I said before, I would like to award this to every one of the blogs I read but I'm just too lazy to make that many links!!

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The first week of my being creative every day has been pretty successful. I've done some art (can't show you yet!), taken some photos, baked, and generally just been more aware of all the creative things I do each day. I feel that this challenge is very realistic and doable for me. Sometimes I frustrate myself because I see everyone is working in their art journals so I think I should be doing that. Then I see someone is knitting or crocheting and I think I should be doing that. Then I see someone is doing beading and I think I should be doing that....I think you get the picture! I keep jumping from one thing to another and many times it's only because someone else is doing it. This year I'm trying to focus on what I want to do! Gee, what a concept! So even though I'm not showing you what I've been working on you can be assured that I have been creating. And I've also been doing more writing in my gratitude journal.

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This morning HB and I were out early and he took some photos....I can't take any credit for these. We had a little snow last night....


Taken from our driveway.


This is on the other side of town.


Same as above.

Then we decided to drive out a little bit past where we live and he got these shots....







Can you see the orchard at the foot of the hills? This is a pretty area just west of us. We don't get snow very often and there's usually not much of it....in fact, we didn't have any snow at our house this morning. We had to drive a little to get even this much. But it always looks so pretty when you look out and see it on the mountains all around.

As Clint Would Say....

Go ahead....make my day! And that's exactly what Deb did when she awarded me the "You Make My Day Award"....thank you soooo much, Deb.



This award is extra-special to me because I have read Deb's blog ever since I first discovered blogs! There was something about her that just hooked me right into her world. She was one of the reasons I finally decided to start a blog of my own. I wanted to be part of that whole big interesting group of people who visited back and forth. I got my blog, started visiting more blogs, leaving comments, etc and well, the rest is history.

Now comes the part I really hate. Do you ever visit a blog regularly and leave comments only to suddenly feel as if you're just saying the same things over and over? There are also times when I don't feel as if I'm clever enough or smart enough to have anything worthwhile to say. Some blogs have very clever readers and I feel that my little ordinary comment isn't going to mean very much to them. I'm not especially good with words.

That's what happened to me and Deb's blog. I commented every day and then one day last year I just thought what I was typing was such nonsense and so repetitive that I just didn't leave any comment. I decided to just read her blog and only comment if I had something intelligent to add....which seemed to never happen! I continued to read every day but never left any comments.

Just before Christmas I was thinking about all the wonderful people in Blogland, and of course I thought of Deb. I sent her an email trying to explain what had happened to me and to apologize for the lack of comments. I thought I might or might not hear back from her....maybe she was mad at me, maybe she didn't care if I commented or not. But thank goodness I did hear from her....and now she's given me this award! The people in Blogland are truly the best! And Deb you're tops in my book.

If any of you don't know who Deb is, now would be a great time to go over and read her blog. She's funny and smart and always has fantastic photography. I promise, you won't be disappointed. And who knows, you might make a new friend just like I did.

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This is also an extra special day for another reason. Today would have been my mom's 93rd birthday!



Happy Birthday, Mom! This is a photo of her when she was about 18 years old, I think. Sorry about the tear at the side. Some of my photos are getting old!

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I'm such a dork!! I forgot to pass on the award to the people who make my day! Obviously Deb would be one of them but she already has the award so here are the ones I'm choosing: Julie Marie, Suzi-K, Kate, and Dot. All of these women make my day. Actually everyone who reads my blog deserves this award but I'm just too lazy to put that many links on here! So consider yourself awarded, too!

The Name Game....

I saw this on Deb's blog and it looked like fun.

What Janet Means

You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you. You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries. You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I was surprised by how accurate it seemed with the one huge exception towards the end....I do not like to be far from home at all! If you try this be sure to let me know what yours says.

And last but not least, Happy Birthday to the beautiful Gillian!!

Being Charitable and Being Creative....

There's so much going on right now and it's all good! This might be another of those rambling posts where I cover so many things your head will be spinning. Sorry!! I just get excited about things and I have to share with you.

First up is a wonderful project involving knitting or crocheting. You can read all about it here (just scroll up when you click on the link.) This is such a worthwhile cause and one I hadn't seen before that I couldn't pass on it. And you don't even have to be really good at knitting or crocheting....it's very basic stuff! Please check it out and see if you'd also like to contribute.

Then while browsing on my bloglines last night I saw a new post from someone I hadn't seen in quite some time....I popped over to see what was up and found this most interesting post about commitment and being creative. If you struggle with this you will appreciate what she has to say. I found it almost eerily true for me.

Then as if all that isn't enough, I got a wonderful package in the mail from the kindest person in Blogland....Dot....and she sent a beautiful Dotee doll to my daughter!! Here's a photo of it....



Thank you, Dot!! I know she will love it.

My whole focus recently has been on HB and I have let my art kind of fall by the wayside. But since I'm doing the Creative EveryDay 2008 I've been thinking more about other ways I'm being creative. One thing I've been doing is taking photos. We have that new Rebel XTi and it's a bit intimidating to me but I've been giving it a try. Yesterday I took it up to the studio and took some pics of a few art supplies. I liked how all the colors looked.



Then I turned to some dried rose petals I had spread out....so here's a shot of them....



I haven't learned about all the settings yet so the light might not be the best on these but I'm trying! And last night I actually sat down and sketched out an idea for a new picture. So I'm getting into the whole creative thing again. I think 2008 will be the Year of Creativity!!

Doing Something Creative....

You may have noticed a new picture on the right side of my blog....that one that says Creative EveryDay 2008. I didn't make any resolutions or goals this year as I failed so miserably with mine last year! But I did join Leah's challenge for this year. It seemed easy enough to do because being creative involves so many different things. Even baking cookies is creative! I can do that. Or make hot chocolate with a little something extra added. I can do that. Arrange a bookshelf. I really need to do that.

Anyway I think you get the idea. Being creative can take all sorts of forms and we just need to recognize that. So I've joined the challenge because it seems low key and something I can achieve. Thanks for doing this, Leah. I look forward to seeing where my creativity takes me this year.

Now with all that build-up you'd think I had something creative to show you....well, you would be wrong! Already on my first day, no photo! But I was creative. I took down the trees and got the house back to order, I made a delicious soup for my dinner (HB made his traditional black-eyed peas with ham) and baked a cake for dessert. Plus if you could photograph my mind (whoa! that might be a little bit scary for you!) you would have seen lots of ideas popping up, and I managed to even get some of them jotted down on paper for future use and development.

I had a nice, easy quiet start to 2008. How was yours?

Welcome 2008....