Sun-Day

Today is a BEAUTIFUL DAY!  The sun is shining, the birds are singing and there is not a cloud in the sky!  Ah, yes, what could be better for a Sunday? Wait, I know, Farmer's Market! 

I am so looking forward to the farmer's market this morning. I can't wait to get my hands on some fresh spinach and kale.  I am also quite curious as to what else is coming out of the greenhouses during this cooler weather.  Outside our garden is really staring to pick up speed! The peas have just about reached the first twine tiers, the broccoli leaves are starting to get big and the potatoes are pushing through the ground quite well!  Good things..

Also, there is some sewing on the table!  I have some lovely material that I am so looking forward to putting together and I definitely have a creative urge this morning.  More pictures of that to come....

Here is to a good day...with sunshine, growth...and creativity!

- Blessings

 

stomaching the laptop

I had a rather upset stomach earlier.  It could have been the sweet potato fries, it may have been that I did a lot of driving today, or it may have been the fact that I can't seem to comprehend why people have such a hard time accepting and loving one another.

You see, I went to a great family party today.  Nothing too crazy.  Everyone was happy, mellow, loving and accepting of one another.  It was beautiful.  Children played, adults laughed, memories were shared.  On the way back from the party I had to drop off my Mom.  We got into a wonderful conversation about our views on faith and religion.  We both came to the conclusion that respecting, loving and caring for one another, as human beings, is the most important aspect of any form of worship.  That is the best example and that is the best thing to teach our children.  Well, that with a little fear of the unknown and respect for elders.  So, I felt rather good after dropping her off.  My daughter was happy, I felt at peace and I came home to my husband who had been working all day.  It was so great to see his face. 

As I settled into the routine of making dinner, unpacking the car and so on, I decided to check the news on the internet and see how my Facebook friends were doing.  I opened the laptop, logged onto MSN news and the first thing to pop up is a speaker who offended people and was extremely harsh, the second is about a poor Mother who was asked to leave as a den mother for being gay, the third was about people who abused their children and the list goes on and on.  So much anger and hate. So much bigotry and malice. So much greed and envy.  It literally made me sick to my stomach.  As I looked at this I could hear my daughter asking for me and I felt even sicker.  How can you protect a child from such awful things? How can I, as a person, deal with all this malice?  It was rather disheartening.  It was rather sad. Unfortunately, it was rather real and raw.

I finished dinner, managed to get the wee one to bed before nine and decided I needed to relax.  Hot shower. The best remedy for anything.  I appreciated the water as I realized that there are so many without water.  I appreciated their sacrifice as I indulged.  I felt guilty.  After the shower, I realized that I had to write.  Not for any other reason than to find a sounding board.  So here I am. 

After this I am going to bed.  I am going to pray for better days, for the health of those I know and those I don't.  I am going to ask for tolerance and peace.  I suppose when I ask the question, "what is it that I can do?".... there is the answer.  I can pray, meditate, ask, seek and never stop trying.  I am a Christian, not a very good one, but I am.  So I will say this.."Love one another as yourselves.  Love your neighbor.  Do this." . 

Love one another..that could possibly change the headlines when I open the lap top tomorrow...

-Blessings..no really..Blessings...

House of play

I think it is imperative that I never forget how much fun it is to have a home full of toys.  Think about it. As a child, all I ever wanted was a fort full of toys and sweet things.  Well, here I am!  I have Barbies and stuffed animals, games and coloring, paints, DVDs, dolls and Star Wars action figures. There is chalk and stickers, air hockey and dress up and best of all....I have a friend to play with all the time! Sure she is 33 1/2 years younger than me, but she is so fun! Her energy never runs out, she loves to try new things and use her imagination!  I feel so lucky!

What I have to remember though, is that this little girl will be growing up before I know it.  The Barbies will start to fade and the air hockey may not be as fun.  She doesn't know it, but I do. I know because I saw my Mom go through it when I was young.  But I have a promise to make to her.  I will never be without toys or dolls or stuffed animals.  My fort will always be here for her and I will always be ready to play.  I will keep myself young at heart so she always will have that to come home too.

So, instead of typing away, I think I am going to go and enjoy a lovely viewing of the movie "Tangled" with my daughter.  I am so grateful for this time.  I plan to use every moment of it. 

GO PLAY!

 - Blessings on your day!

Rainy Day

Today is a new day and I am so looking forward to working on some vintage items.  I have a wonderful assortment of hankies that have been staring at me for a week now and I have really been wanting to press them and take some pictures for the Etsy shop.  It is a good day for something like this as cold and rain is in the forecast.  It reminds me of when I was a kid and on rainy days I would set up a pretend shop on the porch and beg my Mom to come and look at it.  Rainy days were so great then.  Board games, making forts, going through your parent's closets.....

It is still a bit like that I suppose. I have my little fort (my house) and I have interesting things that I am selling. However, I don't think my Mom would make the 40 minute trek to come see my "shop".  Lucky for her there is the internet and she can just log on! 

So, off to work.  I mean play...it is a perfect day for rain!

-Blessings

Craft Show Results

It was a wonderful day at the craft show yesterday!  I was able to meet and greet some wonderful vendors, meet wonderful shoppers, a great friend of mine stopped by with her Mom and I was able to hand out a few business cards! On top of all that, a vendor went home with one of my skirts! I am really hoping she enjoys it as much as I did making it! 

I thought it would be fun to post my little selling area from the show.  The show was in a day care center and so it was a little tricky to set up.  Plus, I didn't have the 50 skirts I wanted, so I think it looks a bit empty.  However, there is always room for improvement! 

So, on to the next event for the day. The Hot Wheels Racing weigh in!  Yes, time for coffee and doughnuts I think...

-  Blessings on your day and thank you so much for all the well wishes and support during this event! 

JclaireP

Craft Show Day

Today is a big day! JclaireP is going to a craft show! I have all the skirts in tow and the car is packed up.  Wish me luck today!  Thank you for all the encouraging words as well.  It means so much when you know you have a support system!

- Blessings on your Day!!

PS- I'll be sure to post some pictures! :)

Crazy weekend

The weekend is upon us!  For me, that means preparations!  I am so excited because I have a lovely fundraiser to attend this weekend:


SAND SPRING LEARNING CENTER
Vendor and Craft Show Fundraiser
4480 Spring Hill Drive, Schnecksville, PA 18078
(Behind Schnecksville Elementary School)
Saturday, April 21, 2012
9 AM - 3 PM
Come Join Us for Food, Shopping and Fun!
Vendors include:
Thirty-One, Tastefully Simple, Scentsy, Pampered Chef,
Dove Chocolates, Do You Bake, Mia Bella Gourmet Candles,
Noah's Ark Animal Workshop, Miche, Avon, Mary Kay, JclaireP
Bake Sale  Chinese Auction

I am so excited to see what contacts will be made and to see if anyone finds my skirts interesting!  I am also looking forward to seeing what goodies the other vendors have.  There is nothing more fun than shopping with fellow vendors!

That is not the only event this weekend.  Did I ever mention that my husband loves Hot Wheels cars?  He does..he is a Hot Wheels affictionato.  He is preparing races for an upcoming festival that we are having and this is the "weigh in" weekend.  He sets up a road coarse track and a drag strip track and we have quite a few contenders.  So, in addition to the craft show, I have quite a momentous event at the house!  I am looking forward to seeing friends, family and all the hot cars they will be bringing with them.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63767259/car-show-in-miniature-16x20-fine-art-toy?ref=tre-2671347874-1

 

So, in a nutshell....I will need a weekend for my weekend!  But isn't that the best part?  

- Blessings on your weekend and HAVE FUN!

Pink and Poppy

I love this skirt! Bright Poppy Pinks catch your eye!  Yes, it is a sign of Summer for me and I have to say I am glad for it.  I know there will be bugs and humidity, but I still find Summer a wonderful experience of lounging in the dusk with flip flops on, a brew in hand (or a glass of wine) and the swallows sweeping away the mosquitoes overhead.  Ah, yes...the beauty of a natural bug predator... So, without further ado, here is a little number I whipped up today!  Enjoy and may there be sunshine in your future!

-Blessings on your..night...

Green

It is a cloudy, humid day here in PA and I am LOVING it! I walked outside this morning and everything was so green! Although the garden is in it's beginning stages, it looks healthy and lush. The lettuce has vibrant greens and purples and the peas look as thought they are stretching to reach the first tier of the lattice.  Just breathtaking and I am so grateful.

Yesterday was brilliant as well.  The sun was shining, there was a warm breeze and the barn sales and garage sales were in full swing! I wasn't able to get to as many as I would have liked, but I did manage to hit a few.  The people were so happy to see the sunshine and there was quite a bit of life out and about.  Simple things. A green garden, sunshine and happy people.  I really couldn't ask for anything more. 

Now, I move on to my next challenge.  I have a craft show lined up for this weekend and I would like to finish two skirts in order to have some additional inventory.  So, off I go.  Until the next time...enjoy your day!

-Blessings

Twists and Turns

It is amazing how life can give you one road and then, at a drop of a hat, put you on another.  For weeks now I have been writing about my preparations for a big vending event.  I had put up a challenge to make 50 skirts before the week's end.  I did manage to make 25!  But, as life has it, a twist has presented itself.  We have had a loss in our family.  My cousin's father has passed from a very long battle with cancer.  His Dad was my Uncle at one time and, as a child. I grew up with him.  But, as life gives it's different paths, he and my Aunt set on different roads.  I hadn't seen him in many years, but then my cousin met a wonderful woman, married and had three beautiful children and I began to see my ex-Uncle at birthday parties and special events.   A bit of a reconnection I suppose.  So, with his passing this week, I find it imperative that I am there to support my cousin in his grief and to honor the memories I have of his father.

I suppose we can set our sights on all sorts of things that we think are going to work out.  We can plan and make provisions and sew until we don't think we can pull another thread, but that doesn't mean life is going to cooperate.  The plans of mice and men seem to come to mind.  However, there is one thing that we can do with these unexpected twists and turns.  We can own them.  We can make them ours and find the road that goes with them.  Not everything is going to be OK or fine or how we want it to go.  However, everything has a purpose, a reason and a path.  

So, with that, I hope you have a blessed weekend, I hope you enjoy your family and friends and I hope, most of all, that you don't make plans for life, but you allow life to do a little planning for you.

-Blessings

3 days..

This is the week. The countdown begins.  I had originally set up a challenge for myself to make 50 skirts by April 14th.  If I made the 50 skirts, I would allow myself to redecorate a room.  Well, I am up to 23 and I have 3 days.  Let's just say I made it half way (I plan to make 2 skirts by the 14th) and I can either redecorate half a room or a very small one.  Hey, you can't say I didn't try! Along the way I have learned a bit too!

1- Always give to causes that need it. For instance, JclaireP is contributing to an event in CA for Cancer Awareness and a fund raising event in NH for raising money for abused children.  Giving is better than any sale and that is what makes the world go round.

2- Deep sighs are good when you get overwhelmed. Taking breaks are necessary.  Don't push too hard or your body will push you back.

3- In order to keep the creative juices flowing, don't allow yourself to hate getting up for work.  Let yourself find your calling and then do it.  For me it was material and texture..allow yourself to explore.

There we are, three of the many things I have learned.  So now, I retire for the night so I can wake up and make a skirt!  Glad to do it too.

-Blessings and have a good night.

A little music

I was inspired by some music I hadn't heard in quite some time last night.  I started working on my skirt project and the music completely made me lose track of time.  It was so wonderful because I was able to accomplish quite a bit and didn't even realize I had been working so fast.

I lost touch with music for a while.  When I was first introduced to it I was a child.  I remember placing my ear on my parent's stereo as hard as I could to pick up the beat of the Rolling Stones, Donovan or, my personal favorite, The Beatles.  I remember the soft velvet from the stereo buzzing on my ear lobes when the bass would hit.  They are very fond memories and I absolutely cherish them.  As I grew older, I began to show a little talent for music and by my high school years I was playing the piano, clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor sax.  I was also in training for singing and I sang quite a bit in choirs at school and church.  The love of my music was there, but now it was being refined and trained and I think that is what tore me away from it.

To me, there was nothing like the rawness of chaotic drums or a tinged voice in a song.  When they began to pick away at the music, finding errors in expression, I couldn't help but find extreme frustration.  How could you find error in expression?  I understood the concept, but there was no way I could agree to it. So, by age twenty, all my instruments had been put away and all my training had stopped.  Even to this day, I cringe at joining a choir.  However, I have no problem with bolting out a tune in the shower, on my own time.

Last night was different though.  The music playing was simple, but incredibly inspiring.  It had been a long time since I felt this creative. My old friend seemed to be back for a visit and I hadn't seen her for decades.  I think it is a new road for us and I am glad that it has been paved.  This time, however, she can just play and I can enjoy the ride.

Put some music in your day - Blessings

Spring has landed!

Spring has definitely sprung at the Price house and I have evidence.  As I watered the cool crop today I was witness to gigantic earth worms copulating on the surface of the dirt (which is really weird looking) while the robins waited for their opportune moment to snack on these unsuspecting parties.  Also, in the flower bed, the resident bunny has decided to make it's nest.  I saw it sitting in the hostas this morning looking rather plump and when it tried to hop away, it didn't get very far.  It reminded me of myself when I was 8 months pregnant and trying to run around to get last minute errands done. A hobble here, a hobble there. But, I am sure it was entertaining for the crowd! The Victorian Roses are in full bloom as well.  These are the first bushes to bloom in the yard and they are always a welcome sign. 

 

The rabbit's nest

                                                                 Popping Pink Colors!

                                                                Black seeded Lettuce

                                                         Victorian Rose Bush in Bloom

So, the garden is popping, the bunnies are on their way and the flowers and birds are definitely in full swing. Yes, Spring is here and my senses are so grateful for it!  Get outside a bit today and enjoy these glorious gifts!

-Blessings

A little alone time..

I am officially up to 22 skirts as of today.  Considering everyone has been sick and I am now sick, I think that's pretty good.  Almost halfway there and only 12 more days to go!

It is a quiet house today.  Child is at school, dog is at the groomers and I can hear the hum of the refrigerator.  I think after not being alone for so long the quiet is welcome, but a little disturbing.  How much more inspired I am when I know that life is abounding and chaos is surrounding me!  Even if I do get interrupted with small requests like, "How do I spell, "Once upon a time?", or the classic, "Mommy! Come see what I did in the bathroom!".  I think I am one of those people who need to feel and witness life around them in order to function.  I definitely would not be a good candidate for solitary confinement.  Although, I have been known to lock myself in a closet in order to think clearly.

So, now, in this quiet, I can feel my eyes becoming very heavy. The rarely heard call of the infamous "Nap" beckons me.  I have heard it still does exist in this home, but you can only find it when there is no one around.  My new calling...and since I am feeling under the weather, I must heed it.

Blessings on you day and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....