Buttons, Bows, & What Your Organizer Knows

Happy New Year's Eve! Have you made some resolutions? I've decided that since we made it past the Mayan calendar, I am making revolutions for 2013--revolutions in how I spend my days, what I can accomplish, and most importantly what I really want to do. A lot of this goes into my organizer, so I need an especially inspiring organizer to accomplish more creative days. Your organizer says a lot about you--whether it's mostly blank, filled with plans, dreams, lists and ideas, checkmarks of what's been done, events, or just making an ordinary day special because of what you wrote about it. Each day is up to you to decide how happy you want to be.

Come on in and I'll share my 2013 revolutions.

My front door yesterday, before we took down all the Christmas decorations!

In past years I've used my boring old weekly planners to organize my days. Not this year. I found this gorgeous little planner at the calendar kiosk at the mall, and to me it looks like an art journal and has some fabulous pages in it where I can do a little journaling, write some encouraging words to remember all year, and simply be inspired by the artwork every day. And, it fits nicely in my bag.

It's because I want to create art every day. Even if I can only spend minutes on it, I want to put something in my art journal, write, and thread a needle, no matter what else I have to do that day! Those are my revolutions.

It's filled with creative pages along with the planner pages.

I love ribbon and button bookmarks, and whipped one up from some pretty sparkly ribbon for my new planner. I stitch a fun zigzaggy seam down each side of two lengths of ribbon and then sew a button on the bottom. Easy and fun.

It has been so nice to have a holiday break. I've organized my ribbon stash, my sewing supplies, and my stack of projects to give me a boost for the new year. I have a fun, ongoing DMC floss project planned...a daily kinda thing, starting tomorrow!

The Christmas decorations are put away, the house clean, and my mind clear. I don't want to be another failed resolutionist this time--I want to be a happy revolutionist!
So, I am onto the treadmill--something I do every day anyway, so no big deal--but this time there will be situps everyday combined with a little yoga (that will be a body revolution), and maybe a novel and some playwriting completed in the next few months! It's a plan. I hope you've had a wonderful, blessed 2012!

Minnie is cozy for the day.

Eat, Write, Dream, and Stitch up a fabulous 2013!

Sunday Threads

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

Ten Things to Love About Christmas All Through the House

 

1-Decorating and making it Christmas all through the house--even on the Greenhouse.

2-Nesting at home...spending time together...baking our favorite Christmas-time goodies...watching our favorite Christmas movies (It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and Miracle on 34th Street to name a few)...and sleeping in!

3-Enjoying the season in my own town--shopping, eating out, and seeing the lights!

4-Dreaming of what Santa's going to bring!

5-Getting out our Nutcracker collection each year and of course having Nutcracker photo shoots.

6-Christmas Parties!

7-Taking Christmas pictures on Christmas day.

8-Decorating several Christmas trees!

9-Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner with all our favorite dishes.

10-Taking time to slow down, enjoy the moment, share, and grow. The best gifts of all.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Celebrate

Sunday Threads

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:8-11

Art Journal Fridays--It's a Hair Do!

I must have really enjoyed my birthday this year--because there are several pages in my art journal that have to do with my birthday! But, that's what art journaling is all about right? There is no right or wrong--we can put something in there about an awesome day, a horrible day, or a normal day--a shopping list, and a thought! Anything goes!

I was very relaxed and happy when I watercolored this page and reflected on my special day. I made big hair--the higher the hair, the closer to God--and I journaled in that hair. And once again, I have a page that makes me happy to look at again and again.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch yourself merry!

Gingerbread House Special...WOYWW #185

 There are a bunch of beautiful bloggers who, every Wednesday, celebrate what's on their work desks. It's that simple. A little celebration of what makes us happy in life--all over the planet!

Join the What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday party right here, hosted by Mrs. Dunnit!

Today, I'm sharing an alternate workdesk in my house...the one in my kitchen. Now, I don't show every pot of pasta I make, cup of Starbucks I brew, or even family meals that took extra time. But, then, sometimes I do, and I always have to share my gingerbread house. 

Every year, I make at least one little gingerbread cottage--some years I make two or three. Back pain has brought me back to reality this year, and I didn't even shop for the variety of decorations I usually do--but I managed to pick up a few packages each containing a roll of Lifesaver candies, and a Lifesaver candy cane. (I can walk and talk, so don't feel too sorry for me.) The first candy cane I opened broke...so it went on one of the sides of the gingerbread house. I found a bag of mini marshmallows in the cupboard, and that was all I needed. I baked the gingerbread pieces a few weeks ago and wrapped them up until I was ready to decorate.

I decorate the front, back, sides and roof pieces laying flat. Let that nice icing (my glue) dry good and hard, and then it all comes together--the last step which I've just finished. 

Having the gingerbread house is so fun, and smells better than a gingerbread candle. I also use a few straight pins to hold things together until the whole house is good and dry, then the pins come out--just in case I have any little visitors. All the children in my life have loved looking at these gingerbread houses over the years, and some have decorated their own. 

Even if I just throw it together, like this year, it's still special.

I think the frosting is really key to this whole little cottage coming and staying together. The first batch of frosting is for the decorating part of the job, and the second batch is for gluing the walls and roof together. Each time I use two egg whites, and two and half cups of powdered sugar.

I always have some little person inside the house, and this time, I decorated this little gingerbread man with a Santa hat!

I have to say that maybe the most fun, after building the house is doing the photo shoot! My houses NEVER look the same from year to year.

In the meantime, life is good, happy, joyful, and very calm at my regular worktable!

Joy, blessings, and happiness to you as you Eat, Write, Dream and Stitch.

Sunday Threads

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.
II Corinthians 5:17

Art Journal Fridays--Layers of Blessings

It is amazing how a simple day can be filled with happiness and memory making. It was Saturday, November 10th, and the weather here in the Ozarks was absolutely gorgeous and perfect--sun was shining all day! (And I'm descended from sun goddesses, I'm pretty sure, so that was extra special to me.) I slept late (well, 7 am...late for me!). I got up, exercised, had my favorite coffee, and got ready to go out and celebrate all day.

First we went to Michaels--all of us together, and I got a few extra art supplies that day, for my birthday. Earlier they had given me a telescope--I am a nut when it comes to studying the stars and the universe, and I've never had my own telescope before!

My daughter snapped this photo of my husband and I as we were about to enjoy our delicious, expensive lunch!

Then, we strolled through Barnes & Noble, and got a few more goodies--I almost bought this huge book on the universe...but instead, I got "Doodle Stitching!"

I'm still adding layers and some writing to this page.

My art journal page here started out just to be some pages layered and layered with pretty papers, doodling, stamps, and even a yarn flower I made. It was just right to put this little Instagram phone pic here, representing a simple day, layered and layered with the goodness that comes with turning 52!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

All I Want To Do for Christmas...

Christmas 1963: My big sister and me and our dog Susie. My mother forced me to wear footie pj's even though we lived in California, by the ocean!

 This year I am having a Christmas staycation--and I can't wait! With a few extra days to get the chores done and finish the shopping, I can finally get to do some of the things I love! No rushing to the airport, worrying about lines, or what to do with the cats! Although we will be out on Christmas day--I will have some peaceful days in my crafty corner...a day at the movies to see Les Mis...and of course, my favorite day-after-Christmas shopping! So here are some of my plans, in pictures.

I want to make more fabric ATCs--like this one I made for my soul sister Jan!

This angel was trapped in a hoop for years! I'm going to finish her up to live her life as a doll.

Preparing this altered book to be an art journal for next year.

Enjoying the flowers on my greenhouse.

I plan to stop and smell the Christmas cactus!

Enjoy my Christmas trees.

Watch a lot of sunsets--like this one from a week ago.

Craft with my kitties. Hello Joseph!

Dream of summer vacay--and try to duplicate these colors from this photo my friend Mary took of St. Thomas!

Oh yeh--watchin' my stories and old movies too!

A nice lunch out one day!

Roasting a turkey. Yum!

Finish the butterfly scarf! That's right!

So, maybe I should stop, while I'm ahead! I have a lot to do and a lot to enjoy. I hope you are keeping up with this busy time of year, and remembering to take care of yourself, live in the moment and be thankful for it, pay it forward, and be nice to everyone around you, because we never know the road someone else may be traveling. Be a blessing and enjoy your blessings! Oooh...I got so preachy! But this is the season of magic...grab it!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Celebrate!