Our Gorgeous, Silly Girls

Here they are, giggling and fighting over who gets to lay on Grandma & Grandpa's sofa. Try to keep from smooching them to death!

Franklin Planner Fun

A small sampling from my work journal from last year.

Think I love Teesha Moore much?

Let the church say, "Yeah!"

Friends Don't Let Friends' Kids Use Markers!

Here is a drawing done by our youngest daughter Anna about ten years ago, when she was 3-ish. She gave it to a friend of mine, and he kept it in his tool box all this time. Now he has it hanging in his cubicle. Marv, you look smashing in your baseball uniform. I think Anna has captured you perfectly!

Gimme Some Shimmy

Our youngest daughter has been doing bellydance since she was 12. She really loves it, and has gotten quite good. It is fun to watch her and hear the music she dances to. It makes me want to leap up and wiggle my bits all over the place. Finally, after a year and a half of thinking I was too fat and too old, I convinced my friend Kimmie to sign up for a bellydancing class with me. Once we started, we found out that bellydance is for ANY size, shape, or age of woman. We've been taking belly dancing class for the past 8 weeks from our darling teacher, Shannon, who is an art therapist during the day. Man, is it fun. My body hurts every Friday morning. We must have jiggled something loose this past Thursday evening because I am still sore today. It's a good sore, though.
I started taking Yoga class too in order to get in touch with my own body. For so long I've ignored everything below my neck. I've lived inside my head and my hands since going through major depression several years ago. All I did was listen to books on CD and sew or journal. I would walk sometimes, but not very often.
Little by little, I am noticing that I can move more easily. I can actually tie my shoes and breathe at the same time again. It may not sound like much, but for me it's huge.
Another great thing about taking the classes is spending time outside of work with my friend Kimmie. I also find that I enjoy being around other women. I didn't used to like it. I always felt more in competition with other women than like bonding with them. Maybe I am finally developing a comfort with my self, some self confidence. Enough so that I can find joy in others instead of worrying about whether or not they are "better" than me.

Self Portrait

Quilty Goodness

I have already finished this fabric journal for my sister. I neglected to take a picture of the finished book, but here are some shots of the different panels. They are stuffed but not yet quilted with pearl cotton thread.

This is the front cover minus the pocket that makes it look like the winged girl is wearing a long skirt.

This is the front-cover pocket, winged girl's skirt.

This is the inside of the front cover.


This is the inside of the back cover minus pocket/skirt.



This is the inside back-cover pocket/skirt.

This is the back cover.

All the wings were cut from an insect T-shirt that my mother-in-law got for me from The Wilderness Center in Wilmot Ohio. I felt bad that I never wore the shirt even though I loved it. There just aren't a lot of places to wear a bug shirt. One day I needed fabric wings for a project, and there was the shirt still crisp and new...SNIP, SNIP, SNIP! The guilt will pass eventually, I hope.

Sampler

Here are a couple of journal pages I collaged. I scanned them before I decide to add more stuff, like writing and drawings, maybe embellishments. I like them just the way they are for now, but they aren't precious. They are for playing with.

Here are some recent play-time results. I made them just to be playing with fabric and color. Not all are fabulous, in fact, some are VERY not fabulous, but all were made with process in mind, not product. When I look at them and touch them, my mind and heart remember what it was like to take a leap of faith, be messy, and just create without fear.
They make me a little uncomfortable. Which is how it felt to make each one...uncomfortable, and then either delighted or not. They are "through" pieces, not "end" pieces. A sampler, if you will.

Cubicle Happiness

I think this was taken around Christmas time judging from the garland of balls and the glittery purple apples in the background. This is where I work. I actually love my cubicle. I love working there, and I love the people.

Kitty Porn

I brought my oldest daughter Haley home from college for her (way too early!) Spring Break. Did she ever get smooched all over her darling smoochable widdle face when I got there to gather her up. She is very tolerant of me and lets me kiss & hug her a lot. She can't help it if she is so very smoochable. She only weighed 5 pounds when I brought her home from the hospital the first time, and she is just as cute now as she was 18 years ago. Just as sweet too. This is a dirty, dirty picture! (I need to clean my house BADLY!) And that is a slutty, slutty kitty, no? Beth likes to climb up on Haley everytime Haley sits down. Haley is her human.

Back At Last!

I finished a book for a friend of my sister's sister-in-law. She wanted all green and white with leprechauns. This is the best I could do. Front Cover

Back Cover



Laid Out Flat

The inside covers have embellished pockets for goodies such as pens, markers, or keepsakes. I hope she likes it. It was really fun to make.