Summer Dreaming

Do you ever have the idea that you are going to clean out one little area and the next thing you know, you're digging out your entire stash of every piece of scrapbook paper, fabric, pens, markers, DMC floss, glue, tape, paint, scissors and punches and the next thing you know, you have this humongous mess! And you're thinking, what happened? And you're tired, and it's now 10 p.m., and you don't know where to begin to get this all put away.

That happened to me a couple of days ago. Just give me an hour to dig it out and I can have my house ready to go on "Hoarders."

Fabric from Mom

Oh well...*sigh* By midnight, I had it all tidied up and I plopped into bed.

I have some extra days at home during the summer--which I LOVE--and of course I want to get some writing done, I'm still tweaking my play and novel as ever--but I also want to finish up my latest mixed media projects and start AND finish some new things!

I started cleaning out my big ole basket-o-markers and colored pencils and throwing away the dried out paint pens, etc. I love to doodle. The problem is, I draw like a child (see above) but I don't care. I started creating these little doodles on pieces of card stock so that I can patch them together and hang them in a poster frame--that is one summer project right there! Hmmm...maybe I'll have my gallery showing some day after all! Dreaming...

My daughter a few years ago on our first visit to the Titanic museum

But, as the doodle says, family is so important to me and it will be fun to get away on a little trip soon. I may make it back to the Titanic museum, since we just recognized the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's demise, I love going to the museum, it's touching and beautiful.

Little pots o marigold seeds I planted last week

My mother gave me a whole bunch of fabric that she had stashed away for decades. I weeded through it and came up with some really cute stuff--I think I can even make a summer dress from one of the pretty, silky pieces. I have some Simplicity patterns I bought on sale, big time, for like 99 cents--so I have to sew something wearable! But my bobbin is messing up lately--I finally found that the problem may involve tightening up a little tiny screw on the bobbin case, so I'll get right on that!

Then, I'm going to plant seeds constantly all summer. Why? I have no idea--I'm just driven to do it!

Okay, so this is unique, but I decided that when I'm on my computer at home, I mostly want to be standing up. I got this idea from watching "A Day in the Life" on Hulu, and I saw this guy, who is extremely healthy, and writes self-help books, and he was going through his day, what he does, what he eats, where he goes, and at the end of the day he does his writing. But he puts his laptop on a table on a box, so that he can stand the entire time he's on the computer. Professionals are constantly telling us not to sit all day--so I moved my laptop to a place on top of some craft draws with a tray to keep it level, and it is very comfortable to stand there. We'll see how it goes. I'm in the process of decorating the ribbon board I just hung above it. I completely cleaned it off too the other day. Look at me go!

I tell you, this all makes me happy because I had a very hard winter with some back problems, so I'm feeling better and happier each day! I'm still in Zumba class once a week and I just signed up for the June classes! Taking an actual class lets you really learn the moves so that you can put on your iPod and practice them all the time when you're not in class.

I know--I draw like a child!

Dishcloth from scrap yarn

I also need to go to church more! My back problems had kept me out for many Sundays, and I love my church. I've also always wanted to hold a cross-stitch workshop there sometime. I wonder if anyone would be interested.

I just knit a little dishcloth the other day. These are great on-the-go knitting projects to stash in your bag and they get done quickly. You can knit up a stack of dish cloths from your scrap yarn, and keep some in your gift drawer--a few tied together with ribbon make a sweet gift with some wooden spoons and a cute vintage bowl.

My summer dreams and schemes also include cleaning out my cookbook collection (I'll be sharing that) and plenty of tag making and scrapbooking! Yay! I love summer days.

Books, Tea, Plans, Life Class

Well I took my first Zumba Gold dance workout class last week, and just got out of my second class. All I can say is...wow! I felt like a teenager at a dance party. I love it that our teacher is a grandmother, and she gave us the high and low versions of the moves, and the music was absolutely exciting and motivational with a Latin vibe and some nostalgic tunes too! I never sweat that much, even on my treadmill, walking three fast miles! So...that's the high of it. The low is...I was hurting a little the next day! But I kept stretching about every half hour--I think I was a little too in touch with my inner teenager at the class! I forgot that I'm in my fifties and I already have a pinched nerve back problem--totally forgot! I tried to pace myself today, at first, but again I got so lost in the music, I danced full out. Maybe I won't be as stiff tomorrow as I was last week. I recover fast!

In the meantime, the other day while recovering from Zumba, I was resting and watched The King's Speech--so loved it! Of course, while watching it, I had to pull out my big book on the kings and queens and look things up--I'm endlessly fascinated with the stories of all the earth's kings and queens and princesses and so on. I can't ever get enough! Then, after fixing myself a tall refreshing glass of tea, I pulled out my cross-stitch books to make a few plans. I have some pieces that are going into a new cross-stitch quilt, and I am thinking of creating a couple of more little items that will patch into the quilt--this will be a summer project, and I love it already. And let's face it, I just get inspired with ideas when I pull my books out.

My favorite book of cross-stitch patterns has really become my go-to book. It has so many motifs and patterns in it that you can stitch up just about anything that your heart desires in any combination that you wish. I have a lot of post-it notes marking pages in this book!

I also found my kitty pattern to make some new stuffed kitties. I'm going to try some with patches of materials, some embroidery, and some little cross-stitches patched onto their bellies--this could be cute.

I really think of my big corner desk as my "cross-stitch corner" because I keep a lot of those supplies there, along with pieces of fabric, discarded jewelry, beads and ribbon for my mixed-media fabric projects. This also works into my scrapbooking nicely too. My daughter went to her senior prom last weekend, and I am definitely inspired to do a few scrapbook pages with her prom photos!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

It was so fun to have a photoshoot in the park with her and her group of friends all dressed for prom. They looked like they were in the pages of a storybook! All the parents took a ton of pictures in the Japanese garden area of the park--we all had a great time before we sent them off to their dinner and their prom.

Back at home, I made myself cozy with more tea, starting work on some stitching, and watching one of the Oprah lifeclasses--I love that show. I try to watch at least one a week, and I am happy that when I first signed up for Oprah Lifeclass, they sent me a leather journal! Pretty cool. So now that I can DVR the shows I want to see, I take lifeclass notes in my little journal. Of course, I can't just take notes, I have to doodle while I'm pondering these deep thoughts. But it makes it more fun to go back and read my notes later!

After I have watched a lifeclass, taken notes, and received some inspiration and enlightenment, I always come up with some new ideas of my own. I think that's my favorite part! I try to mark those pages so that I know those were my ideas--possibly for future use. I think I'll need to do some stretching out and lifeclassing tonight. That sounds like a good plan. That, and some ice tea!

More lifeclass notes and doodles.

My daughter and her charming prom date!

Eat happy, write and doodle, dream daily, stitch some love.