be yourself: live with passion

a different perspective...

               

This morning, as I was unloading the dishwasher and putting the glasses in the cabinet, I noticed something different.  The sun was just coming up and there was this ray of light that came through the wood blinds and into the cabinet where I store the drinking glasses.  They looked like they were on fire.  Their color had turned to amber, infused with crystals and diamonds.  I grabbed the camera off the counter and took a couple of shots.  These were not my ordinary glasses...they sparkled with life and color.

It reminded me of last night.  We were invited over for dinner to my Aunt Zoe and Uncle Dan's house.  We had a wonderful dinner (my aunt has always been a great cook) and then sat around the dinner table sharing stories.  Oh my word...the things I learned last night.  I grew up in the Philadelphia area and Aunt Zoe and Uncle Dan lived in Chicago; I was lucky if I saw them once a year and then maybe only for a day or two.  I had no idea that my very conservative aunt and uncle had this side to them. 

I learned that while they were teens (not married at the time), my uncle saved my aunt from drowning two times...once when she was trying impress the lifeguard (very hunky, per her) and got in way over her head.  The lifeguard didn't even look at her, let alone save her, but my uncle, who was in a different part of the lake, saw that she was in trouble and saved her.  The second time was when a group of guys in their youth group threw Aunt Zoe into 35 feet of water...not being a good swimmer, she was definitely going down.  And, in went Uncle Dan after her and again saved her.  Of course, he also tormented her by putting tacks on her chair while they were standing to pray in church.  She said she was majorly in trouble with her parents for screeching when she sat down on them...while, typically, the quiet tormentor got away scot free.   Uncle Dan said that they stopped doing that when the girls started wearing their Playtex girdles and couldn't feel the tacks through all that rubber! :))

We heard dating stories that had us laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes.  I must say, I was thoroughly entertained and definitely saw a different, very colorful, side of my aunt and uncle.  Sometimes, it seems like life is just so much better and so much richer when we have an opportunity to see a different perspective!

it's the 12th of the month...

...and time for another 12 of 12 Challenge, which is taking 12 pictures of your day on the 12th of the month.  Here's a little collage of what happened today...

These are snippets of my day...in some cases, quite literally as I was getting my hair cut and also cutting and pasting large portions of text into our manuscript. 

Tena and I have been burning the midnight oil for the past couple of days to finish writing the manuscript on our second North Light book so that it could be sent out today.  As you can see, IT'S A WRAP!  YAY!  Of course, there will be a couple more copies to edit before it goes to print, but the lion's share of the writing is done.  More details to follow once we get clearance from the pubs.

My Papier Valise order came in today and you can see the little picture of vintage scrap birds, velvet ribbon, little metal drawer pulls, mini fabric leaves and of course, the fabulous metal letters I used to write "It's A Wrap".   Janice, the owner of the company, never disappoints in what she sends!

It's been a productive day...ready to crash and start all over again tomorrow!

making a difference...

It has really been great to see the scrapbook community band together to make a difference in our world.  There are so many great causes out there and so many reasons to give and to participate.  I just wanted to pass along some information from a local scrapbook store for an event that I am supporting:

The owners and staff at Devine Memories in Gilbert, AZ, are planning an Autism Awareness Event. The goal of this event is to raise money to aid local and national foundations in finding a cure for autism as well as educating the public about autism. Did you know that currently 1 in 166 individuals are diagnosed with autism or that autism is 4 times as likely to affect boys as girls? So, chances are good that you know someone who has been touched by this disease. This cause is very near and dear to the hearts of the families at Devine Memories and they want to show their support.

Below are the specifics of the event.

* The event will be held July 20th, 21st, and 22nd. There will be 5 classes and 2 crops. Exact times and class descriptions can be found on the website, www.devinememories.net

* 100% of class profits and 10% of retail sales profits will be donated. Devine Memories will also match the 10% of retail sales.

* The organizations that will benefit from this fundraising event are Autism Speaks www.autismspeaks.org and the local chapter of NAAR www.autismwalk.org/arizona .

Be aware...and, be involved!

Love surprises like this!

Last week, I received a large box in the mail from my Aunt Helen (my mom's sister) who lives in Florida.  Inside the box was a collection of crocheted doilies, dresser scarves and a huge tablecloth, all made by hand by my grandmother.  I've posted about my Babushka before...she's the one who passed on her collecting genes to me.  She was also one of the most productive and creative people I have ever known.

Aunt Helen, a recent widow, is downsizing and moving into a condo, and she felt that I would most appreciate this handwork done by Babushka.  She told me that Grandma's words to her were that she (grandma) didn't have a lot of money to leave to her daughters, nor did she have any jewelry...what she had of herself was what she had made by hand.  Isn't that awesome?

I'm not really into using doilies and such in my decorating but Ashley does enjoy using some of the pieces.  So, those pieces will go to her.  They are our family heirlooms and each day, when I go into the linen closet, I will see those pieces of Babushka.  And really, the memories of time with her, of what I learned from her...her true legacy...cannot be measured with money or jewelry.

I took several pictures with vintage jewelry and flowers from my collection to showcase the detailed handwork she did.

 

Sunday ramblings...

Yesterday's book signing at Mystic Paper was a great time.  There were lots of people and a ton of energy flowing through the store.  It was great to see so many familiar faces! Thanks Kim and Jennifer for inviting us!  You know what one of my highlight moments was?  I finally got to meet my blogging buddy Jolene.  It was fun to chat with her and to be able to put a real face together with her name.  I only have a few pictures of the event since we were pretty busy most of the time...here are a couple...first one is Jolene with Tena and moi and the other is of us with instructor, Ellen, and store owners Jennifer and Kim.

   

Early this morning, I was checking a new site called French General that I found through Country Living magazine.  Their store is located in Hollywood, CA and I just love the beautiful fabrics and kits that they are selling.  The packaging is just yummy.  I click on the jewelry making kits...now why would I even go there after my last two experiences?    Probably because I am a glutton for punishment.  I'm definitely going to order the pictured bracelet and there are a couple of other color ways that are also gorgeous and I'm contemplating which ones will go with some of my fall clothes.  OK, so back to why I would order a jewelry making kit...I'm thinking that maybe I can bribe Ashley to make it for me.  She is so quick and so good at putting together pieces of jewelry and unlike me, SHE LIKES DOING IT!  If the bribe bill gets too high, I can always order a finished bracelet (so don't think about a big bribe, Ash!  I'm still the Mom!  :))). 

Check out their gorgeous vintage fabrics and their little postcard kits, as well as some of their stationery packs.  A very cool find.

Today's "bite of elephant" in my grand scheme of reorganizing (I guess I should say "organizing" since it never was done in the first place) was to sort through my fabric pieces by color.  I couldn't believe how many cool groupings of colors I had...I can definitely see some color themed fabric mini books in my future.  Thought I'd share a few of my favorites...

                        

And, guess where I am storing them?  In my vintage wire locker baskets...they look so awesome!

I really rambled on today...am off to have my breakfast and savor my second cup of coffee. 

Happy Sunday!  Enjoy the weekend...

                              

cousins...

What kind of cousins would my kid and my cousins' kids be?

Seriously.  This is not a trick question.  :) 

Yesterday, Ashley and I had lunch with three of my cousins, their 4 daughters and my aunt.  A very fun (and rowdy) lunch at one of my favorite breakfast/lunch places, T.C. Eggington's.  Two of the cousins are from the Chicago area so I rarely get to see them...it was a great time!

So Ashley and I get talking about the relationship between her and the girls...and we can't figure out if they are second cousins once removed (whatever that is supposed to mean!!!!) or third cousins.  Her bottom line:  "We are some sort of cousins!"  Works for me...but I'm still curious...

Here are a couple of pics...

                              

Here are the "some sort of cousins":

                              

It's good to spend time with family.

the birds and the ????

I know what you're thinking.

I know I set you up to think it.

No, I am not teaching a class about The Birds and The Bees! :)  Although, I must say, it would probably be an instant sell out!

What I am teaching is a class called "Wings of Hope" and it's an altered cigar box which features birds and some very cool surprise elements...hence the ???????

The memory box is based on Emily Dickinson's famous quote, "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words and never stops--at all." 

There's a lot of room for creative self expression in this project...it may be styled vintage or cottage, depending on paint/gesso color choices.  There's stamping, embossing, sanding, inking, cutting and layering, painting and even crackling.  That's all I'm going to say...you'll have to experience it for yourself.

Come join me at Ink It on Saturday, July 22nd from 12 noon to 3:30...what better way to spend a hot Saturday afternoon than to create and play?

Don't you just love makeovers?

I know I do.

In fact, I'm a sucker for them.  Whether it's makeup, weight loss, surgical procedures or home related, I am hooked on the story.  When I had my first makeover at the Lancome counter many years ago, my reaction after looking in the mirror was "Wow, is that really me?"  I love when the decorating magazines I get include before and after pictures of the rooms they are featuring.  My very first album when I started scrappin' was a before, during and after journal of the makeover in our back yard.  And when Extreme Home Makeover redid a home in my community several years ago, I was totally amazed at the result...of course it really was extreme!

Over the past few weeks, I've been slowly working through accumulated piles and messes from months of constant creating for classes and publication.  There just hasn't been time to clean as I go and I've had multiple projects going at the same time, which results in multiple messes at the same time.  I seriously think that some of my mojo has disappeared through the cracks between the piles and I'm hoping that I will find the bits and pieces as I organize the piles.  I've been doing a little something every day...it's a little like eating the elephant one bite at a time. :)

Yesterday morning, while it was raining outside (yep, we really did have a "trace" of it!), I tackled the reams of paper which were in the corner of my bedroom.  {When I mentioned in an earlier post about memory arts taking over the house, you probably thought I was kidding...nope, I was totally serious.}  Anyway, when I'm teaching book making classes, the kits are filled with massive amounts of paper which become the book pages.  I end up buying the paper in bulk, hence the reams piled in the corner of my room.  They are really messy looking; some ripped open cuz I'm in a hurry, others having no exterior wrapping at all...all in all, not a pretty sight.

So yesterday, I decided to give them a makeover.  I covered each ream with lightweight kraft paper and then hand labeled each package with the paper that was inside.  When I was finished, I knew I just had to share the before and after packaging...

From this:

                              

To this:

                              

LOVE a good makeover!

late bloomers...

A couple of days ago, while I was watering the potted plants in my backyard, I noticed that the pomegranate tree had a blossom on it.  That's unusual for this time of year, especially when there is a lot of fruit on the tree already.  "Wow", I thought, "a late bloomer."  Which got me totally thinking about late bloomers.

I have a book that I read a number of years ago that is called Late Bloomers:  75 Remarkable People Who Found Fame, Success & Joy in the Second Half of Their Lives, by Brendan Gill.   In reading through some of the short bios of the people he chose to highlight, I was amazed at what these people accomplished, often starting a new career or focus in their 40's and 50's.  Here are several interesting ones:

• Grandma Moses, who began painting at age 76 after arthritis made it difficult for her to embroider.
• Roger Horchow, who, while he was in his 60's, sold his highly successful catalog business for a large sum of money and got involved in producing a Broadway musical...the result was Crazy for You, which ran for years and continues to run overseas.
• Ian Fleming, who began writing his famous James Bond novels at age 45.
• Emily Post, who wrote her first book of etiquette while she was in her late 50's.

When Ashley was in Jr. High, her home ec (or whatever politically correct name was assigned to it at the time :)) teacher invited me to come and speak to the class about career choices and being self employed.  I laughed and told her that I was the wrong person to talk about careers as mine were all over the board.  She said that was fine because a lot of the kids were going to find themselves in the same boat and it would be good for them to hear my story.  Not that it was a fascinating story, mind you...just a lot of different jobs in different areas of life.  Here's what my career path has looked like:  1st grade teacher, working with emotionally disturbed girls in a children's home, legal assistant, office administrator for an interior design firm, co-owner of a service business and now still self employed in our family business but also an instructor and author in the memory arts world.  How's that for zig-zagging my way through life?

I often wished that I could be like many of my high school and college friends who knew exactly what they wanted to be "when they grew up".  They had intense focus on their goals and I imagine that many of them are quite successful in their careers now.  When I was thinking about what I was going to tell the kids in that class, I realized that everything I did up until that point prepared me for where I was at that time-a business owner.  And, several years later, I realize that it all prepared me for what I am doing (and loving) right now.

Sometimes I wish that I would have discovered my passion or sweet spot in life much sooner...but I really believe that things happen for a purpose, including the timing of events.  And, instead of focusing on the time lost, my focus needs to be on right now and what I can do with my life and how can I be an inspiration to others at this given time.  I was so inspired by the late bloomer stories because I have definitely been a late bloomer.  Maybe if I had gotten involved in paper arts, scrappin' and memory arts while I was in my 20's, I would have just played with it and eventually lost interest.  As it was, I began teaching while I was in my 40's and my perspective was different...time was of the essence and I really put my heart and soul into it...intensely and immediately! 

It's great to have a passion in life...something that has you getting out of bed with a smile on your face...something that inspires and drives you (and probably drives people around you crazy!).  I often have women in my classes at Ink It that are in their 60's, 70's and even 80's.  I love their zest for living, their willingness to try new things, their exploration into computers and technology because they can edit and print their own photos, read blogs and send emails to their grandchildren.  Many of them have told me their stories...most of them have been late bloomers in discovering their passion for art.  They inspire me and I tell them that I want to be just like them when I grow up!

This is what somes from having lots of time to think while watering potted plants...Philosophy 101!

I must say, it will be interesting to see the piece of fruit that is going to come out of that late bloom!

let freedom ring....

            

                                                              GOD BLESS AMERICA!

                                                            HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!