Confessions Of A Blabbering Blogger …

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT: I had a moment of worry and self-reflection today and posted about it earlier. I'm not sure who read it and I'm glad no one commented yet. Thankfully, I received two spots of encouragement about the very thing I was worried about, and those two hadn't seen the blog today - I think. It's like the sun came out and shined on me. Anyway, the important thing is I worked through it and hopefully won't get myself into that fix again!

Guilty Pleasures

It is one of those days requiring a Wendy's Biggie Diet Coke light ice, a cheeseburger, Little Debbie's chocolate snack cakes, and a magazine. I feel much better already.



I went to the grocery this afternoon to pick up milk and the chocolate and dared to stroll through the magazines again. Good thing I did, as there is a new Spring Quilts And More. This is quite timely as I just received an e-mail notice from the Anna Maria Horner shop that she has some kitchen linens available, which are darling. Well, check out the magazine cover, bottom corner. Anna Maria is featured in this issue of the magazine, and she has a sweet pincushion pattern for us. Below is a shot of the article's cover photo. Now I'll have to get some of her pretty fabrics.



On Sundays, when I have been to church (though not today, due to exhaustion from the kids' competition this weekend), I am well rested and my mind is clear for just a few short minutes before Sunday Stress sets in (see this link), I feel like I can accomplish anything and take on the world. Right this minute, I want to run downstairs and sew, I want to prime the kitchen cabinets and get ready to paint them, I want to start laying the brick walkways through the front yard - no, actually, I want my husband to start laying the brick walkways while I direct, I want to apply to college again and learn something new, I want to reorganize several rooms, and I want to start painting and decorating my intended new studio office in the scheme of Alicia Paulson (site) Posie Gets Rosy (blog), but which one first? I'm paralyzed with choices right before I have to get down to Monday business. Blink, and it will be the weekend again. Will it always be like this? I hope not, but I don't want to be old when it isn't and I want to use these great ideas now!

More Diet Coke please -- light on the ice -- oh, and another Little Debbie's. Ahhh, thanks.

It's Late; I'm Supposed To Be Working…

But, instead, I'll blog a little. I have several things to show and tell.

SHOW:

ONE: Look at my sweet gift from Erna in Holland! She made me this darling bag with an appliqued Babushka! I am in love with these little designs. Erna also sent me a pretty little bird ornament and some cherry tea. I had pictures of those, but the memory stick in the camera went bad. By the time I found out my photos were lost, I had dispersed everything around the house. So, I just took a picture of the little sweetie by herself.

TWO: My apron from the Sassy Apron Swap arrived (see below). Boy, did I luck out! Christy did such a terrific job! The colors are great and the detail is fantastic! It's reversible, too. I hope she doesn't mind, but I snagged a picture from her site. The apron looks so much better on her dress form than on a hanger against my wall! Again, I had the problem with the memory stick, so the original pictures of me wearing the apron went bust -- there could be more than one reason for that :) --and we haven't had another photo shoot. Anyway, Christy is a great seamstress. She journals her way through her projects, and she is pretty witty. You'll have to check out her blog and see what she is sewing up right now.

THREE: This is the apron I sent out in the Sassy Apron Swap (see below). Mine is on its way to "Ollie" in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada! I think she will like the fabric, as it seems similar to the Amy Butler fabric she used for her swap apron. Then, of course, I had to embroider the pocket. I was worried the style wasn't right, even though I was going for the eclectic mix, but it was done, and I didn't have anymore of that nice polka dot. I hope she loves it. Camille does! However, this time, for the first time, I finally made TWO swap things at once, so I don't really lose out on a good thing. Well, the second isn't quite made, you know, I still have to actually sew it together …

AND TELL:

This might be interesting to Etsy storekeepers and customers alike. For those of you who don't know about Etsy, it is sort of an e-bay for crafters, but no auctions, just buying.

Today, I stopped by Craft Boom, and a podcast was featured on CraftyPod regarding marketing yourself as an Etsy seller. It was very interesting. First, I had never listened to a podcast before, so it was finally nice to have a reason to do so, and second, I thought the interviewee, All Things Littleput, was pretty thoughtful about her approach to marketing and helping others. You'll have to check out the podcast at CraftyPod and then check out the above site and see her art and store.

Now, to those of you reading this late tonight, please send me encouragement to keep working until I'm done. The kids have the state mock trial competition tomorrow, so I have to get my work turned in early before leaving for the day. To those of you reading this tomorrow, please send me brainwaves of Diet Coke WITH caffeine so I can stay sharp through three rounds of mock trial! It's supposed to be raining cats and dogs here, so I will probably be wishing for a cozy couch and a blanket. Then we do it all again on Saturday!

Great Read!

When you are at the grocery this week, pick up the magazine pictured above. A bevy of great ideas for DIYers and crafters. Lots of repurposing and art work for papers, fabric, art canvas, and ribbon. I've had a thing for bird graphics lately, so my favorite section is the one with new home-dec ideas going to the birds! I wish I would actually DO something with these ideas. I'm paralyzed with all the options of home dec and wondering what to do first. So, I bury myself in other busy-ness and reading more magazines and, sorry to say, buying more materials and supplies and never really get down to it. I think I need some company, so I'll get the next thing done. Wanna come over?

My Best Creative Designs

Here are my best design products - my kids. MJC, 18, and CCC, 15, at the Mock Trial Regional Event on Saturday. This is our fourth year in the mock trial program, and my son has loved it! This is my daughter's first year. MJC won "Most Effective Attorney" both rounds! He was the prosecution and had closing arguments and did a great job. We are so proud of him! CCC was a wonderful witness. She is just so calm on stage and managed beautifully for her first time.

Here are some shots of the whole team and the lawyer coach. He has devoted countless hours over the years to our kids! We are very thankful for him and for the teachers at our high school who sponsor the team. Outside of their regular jobs, these professionals spend a great deal of time - approximately six months a school year -- working with the team.

Don't these students look magnificent?!! When you see them perform, thinking on their feet, knowing state law and quoting it during rounds, you wouldn't really believe that they were high school students if you didn't already know it!

Definitely, if your school has a mock trial program, consider getting your kids involved. No matter what type of student your child is, he/she can excel. There are so many possibilities. The fact that they learn a case and the law that goes with it, learn their particular part and the rules that go with that, and then have to perform against another school and be prepared to follow a completely different take on the subject and stay on track is magnificent! They are polished, thinking on their feet, dedicated to the subject, and an integral part of a team. It's very exciting and very rewarding!

I Was Feeling The Love And Then Just Felt Sick

Valentine's Day started out to be a good day but went downhill fast.

GOOD DAY:
1. I am happy to say that I won three of the ONE-World ONE-Heart blog giveaway project. Now being that I was very particular about the ones I entered - only ones in which I knew I would love to receive the artwork - I am very thrilled. My prizes will come from Cheryl, Kathy, and Dawn Marie. If you go to the link over each lady's name, you will see what is coming my way. However, Dawn Marie's was in the making, I think, at the time of her post.

2. I made a new friend in the blog world. While reading Ravenhill - I know, again, but just look at today's posting and see the beautiful fabrics she received. Anyway, I noticed Erna's comment that she was new at blogging, so I just had the thought to hop over to her place, in Holland, it turns out, and left a comment there. I was her first comment received, and she wrote to me very excited and is going to send a treat my way. I told her I should say, "No, please, you don't have to do that." But I would definitely like to see what she would send from home. Check out her blog. It is called Blij Als Mij. That's Dutch for "Happy Like Me." Great blog name! Say hello and make her doubly happy and check out her parents' hotel she mentions on her February 5 posting. Very nice. I might need a visit.

3. I embroidered the hanging heart above from some wool felt for a friend. She liked it enough to hang on her bedroom door. Great compliment, very appropriate.

4. Something personal: My son has been offered a full scholarship from a specific college program, including extra funds that he can keep for spending or saving!!! He has been accepted to two of his choices so far and needs to make his decision soon. In this case, it really is like the Emmy awards, "It's just an honor to be nominated!" We are so proud of him. And if he takes the full scholarship offer, I won't have to work more to keep his pockets filled while he studies!! My husband and I visited the department that offered him the full scholarship on 02/14/2008 - definitely felt the love there - and would feel just marvelous to have him choose that program.

Bad Day:

The bad day started Monday evening really. I began to feel a bit of a sore throat/sinus thing coming on. Tuesday it got closer, Wednesday it was full on and I was in a cloud, Thursday I developed complete - TOTAL - laryngitis while visiting the above college (not that my son minded me down to a whisper!), Friday worse, worse while we visited another college out of town, and today, Saturday, I couldn't take it anymore. I went to the Urgent Care, and I tell you there must have been 20 people in front of me with the same symptoms coughing, blowing noses, etc. I would have been there for hours. So, I got up my courage, called my friend whose daughter-in-law is a new doctor in the practice I go to, and asked her to have her call me from home. I felt bad about using my connections and a bit of guilt by mentioning the long line at the urgent care but not as bad as I would have felt had I stayed there all morning! Thankfully, the sweet girl told me to just come on over, so I actually made the house call and was treated to a Z-Pak.

I Started Feeling The Love Again…

Scandanavian Beauty

Every so often, I come across something I must have. Well, there are LOTS of those oftens, but every, every so often, there is something really beautiful to me that I must have. I spotted these little babushka dolls a short time ago and immediately knew I had to have one. But how? No patterns around. I didn't notice any for sale. Then, one of my favorite bloggers, Emily, who lives in Norway, mentions she is making them for a future web shop. So, I waited and lurked (Note to nonbloggers: That means you're poking around the blogs and not commenting every so often that you are there.), and it finally paid off. I think I might have been one of the first to the shop, because I found little Hege here, and she is on her way home to me! I have the perfect place in mind, too, to display her. Please stop by Ravenhill to see what Emily is up to and to her Ravenhill Etsy Shop so you can have a Scandanavian Beauty for yourself. And don't just lurk, hit the comment button on her blog (and mine, too, please!) and let her know what you think!