Its official!

Last weekend my best friend of 20 some years Heather came to visit from St Louis and we went to San Diego to see Paul,spend some time on the beach and look at some houses.Well,when he showed it to me I didnt want to get too excited incase we didnt get it but I was really thinking there couldnt possibly be any better house.First off that garage detail is just one of the many little dollhouse looking features.The house is called a Tinkerbell Home and was built in the 50s,it really suits it because when I seen the neighborhood it reminded me of Minnie Mouses house or the camper when Goofy went camping.AND lucky me the house has been occupied by the same lady for 40 some years and has alot of the original features.I honestly couldnt have dreamt up a better house,right around the corner is a school built around the same time and still looks like it! I love it so,its like being on a movie set.Paul worked so hard running all over to find us the perfect house and I feel bad that he had to do all that work himself but my what a good job he did.I couldnt be happier.I picture the house in aqua with red and white trim......drool... someday!
We are only going to be 15 minutes from the beach which is a good thing because Shyloh really took to the water it was next to impossible to get her to leave. It was her first time there and you could tell it was love at first sight.There are a few people that I had hoped would be happy for us and want to be a part of it that arent thats kind of taken me aback but I know we are doing the right thing and Im looking forward to spending my life with Paul in our dollhouse. :)
SHINY RUNNING TO HER NEW LOVE

.little while longer

taking care of family stuff more soon.

im not home

you may or may not have noticed i havent been around. im computerless..or computerfree for awhile. i shipped alot of things today and anything ordered this last week will go out next saturday. sorry for the delay everyone. it will get there. i promise! eli graduated this week,it was awesome! pics when i come back. hopefully when i come back i will have new house pics. its very exciting!! cant wait to show you. :) oh and my swaps shold be done and ready for next saturday.... ok im off miss you guys!

time can be so slow and so fast at the same time

Friday is the last day of the shop until I get moved and settled. Im having a hard time keeping up and I dont have much of a support system here to help keep me going.The kids have been helping me take pictures and weigh the last few things Im posting but other than that Im trying to do too many things at once. I need to focus on packing and moving.If you are interested I did mark all of my softies down. I want to take as little with me as possible. Anyone in az want to come and haul away a bunch of vintage crap? I have other crap too. Its craptastic around here :)
Im getting so anxious about moving I can barely breath.It makes me feel like I did when Paul and I first started this journey 2 years ago. My heart beats fast when I think about him.I look at his picture way too much.I want to keep him on the phone forever.Did you know that one time I rode the bus 16 hrs just to see him for less than 4? I had it bad. Still do.Ive spent the last year talking about when this time comes and here it is catching me unawares and unprepared.lolHis family is working hard to help him find a house and get ready for the move.I really appreciate that,make me miss all of the family I left and the way things used to be. I dont think we would be able to do this without them. In fact I know we couldnt.Its been a really long hard rode for us and separation is never easy I really think we deserve to have a good life together and I really believe we will.Until then Im just hangin on!!!

Scorpion stings and other things...

Ive had the crappiest day,we wont get into that but I will say its not kid related! yay!Its shop related and I will say I learned a valuable lesson.Never trust someone with something that cant benearly as important to them as it is to you,such as your business and shipping.But ANYWAY,Ive had a long stressful day so I decided to go outside and take some photos of things Ive been working on ect.

So i was laying in the grass taking photos when all of the sudden I felt a mad burning on my arm. Guess what got me? A scorpion. For some reason I was thinking it was the wrong time of year.Having ran a tattoo shop on a foothill I have seen pretty near everything. A pair of huge wild havelina,vultures,rattle snakes,there were scorpians in the shop often.But I always wondered how I would react if I was ever bit by something,I always picture myself screaming over a rattle snake bite. Ive been bit by pythons before but mostly I cried because my feelings were hurt. Wild animals it just seems worse.But it happened and I didnt scream.This is the picture I was taking..

I mostly tried to be cool and act like nothing happened but you cant help but wonder how bad its going to be or how sick your going to get.So far its just burning. I tried to take photos of the sting but its on my forearm on my tattoo so you cant see it. It dropped when I lifted my arm so I couldnt find it to get a picture of it either.My first thought after oww was damn too bad I didnt get a picture of it on me lol then my second thought was "i need paul" :(
But today is almost over thank heavens and tomarrow we are going to my mothers for dinner and next weekend I will be in San Diego with my best friend of 20 yrs and Paul.sigh

SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!

So this is the sweet girl Ive been looking at all school year long. I was sitting here at the computer this morning and all of the sudden I could smell chemicals,strong,wafting down the stairs......and then the nxt thing I know i hear Eli yell "OMG what in the hell!" and then here it comes down the stairs,I see the shadow first and then the long spikey points....


its going to be an interesting summer..

Brand New Day

Yesterday was the last day of school.Shyloh won an award yesterday at her 6th grade graduation(this is the first year i had heard of that) for outstanding physical education.I dont think I was blogging at the time but she placed first in every event but one this year.She didnt know she was getting it but her teacher had called me the night before. It was all I could do not to say anything and I did call her karate instructor to let him know.She totally didnt expect me to be there.When I walked in all the kids were saying "hi shylohs mom" and the look of shock on her face was priceless. Its always funny when I go to school because they cant help but stare at me,they are kids, so I always smile and try to let them know Im not a monster.The parents on the other hand, for the most part, have a look of fear or disgust.I think they relax once they see the kids love me though. When the kids were little I was a teachers aide so I kinda have a way with kids and school. I love it.
Mariahiesha scored all 99 and 98% on her finals and Eli graduates next week (and turned 18 yesterday!) so we are all happy on the school front.I love it when school is out because I dont have to worry about what is happening to them to and from. Thats always a nightmare here. last week a 14 yr old boy was shot not far from here,at random,he was just walking.all of that really sucks since everyone is still recovering from the serial sniper we had around here last year.(this after my ex husband,kids and i went thru the dc sniper ordeal) (watchout sandiego it follows me)
But anyway i was thinking yesterday that yesterday was pretty much the last day of our old life.Ive been saying all year when school gets out we are moving to San Diego. Well,here we go.Its no longer some surreal event that may or maynot happens to us in the distant future.Its time to start seriously packing,going thru things,preparing.Its a really strange overwhelming feeling.
But on a lighter note,I now understand why Hilary didnt talk alot about what its like to look for new house and all that goes with it.geeshhhh and I wont tell you either because it might keep you where you are at. ;)
UGGH THIS JUST IN
Im watching the news right now and they just closed an elementary school here in the phoenix area because there was a horrible smell in the school and it turned out the smell was from a body,on the roof.can you say time to leave?lol

daydreamin'

You probably wouldnt know it by looking at me because Iam always either barefoot or in flipflops but I have a serious shoe problem,nothing gives me a bigger kick than shoe shopping.Im not ever happy with normal shoes either.I have a pair of pink kitty boots in my closet that I couldnt find anywhere in the United States and then I had to call all over England to find a place that had a pair.That was a year ago and I still havent worn them,Im still in search of the "perfect" outfit to wear with them.And then there was my elf toed irregular choice shoes that had the pink binky on them and heart shaped heels.My heart still beats fast when I think of those shoes.Well today Emily got me startd on a new addiction.(I just love Emilys style,I would love to have her wardrobe.)
I probably wont be happy until I get these shoes,keep an eye out on etsy because I will be selling things on there I dont really want to get rid of.

so far they arent out of sz 9,they are out of sz 11 and 6.5 which I thought was interesting...
But then I found these

these

and these

but I think these just scream my name so after the birds I want these,hopefully they will be on sale by then.

this makes my heart sing

Iam seriously thinking about trying to get a job there in hopes of a discount. :)

blatant mushiness (yes 2 posts in one day!)

i dunno,just sayin....

drowning in a pile of vintage crap.. :)

I started updating the shop today there will be more later this evening. As I pull things out and go thru my closets I realize Iam creating a disaster and no human being should have this much crap. My house isnt a home its a thrift store thats not open.Its ridiculous.I was very close to my grandmas( i was 30 years old and would still sit on the floor with my head in my grandmas lap,regularly) and they died or was killed within a few months of eachother and I developed a bad habit of buying everything that reminded me of them or I had seen in their homes or in other peoples homes when I was with them.I did this for almost 5 years. Obsessively. It didnt bring my grandmas back or bring any closure or make me feel any better about the way things happened. Its been a very heavy weight to carry and then I added on material things that have turned my emotional stuff into a material,visual, weight that I carry.So buy all my crap and give them good homes!!I really want to move into my new home with Paul with a clean slate.I absolutely cannot wait to get all moved and to use a cheesy phrase "just exhale" Ok I didnt mean for this post to get that deep,I dont have time to be emo Im getting outta here before Im blubbering all over the place.buy! lol


I THINK ITS A SIGN
right after i posted this the phone rang and it was my cousin who i had always been close to growing up and we kinda lost touch like the rest of the family when our grandma was killed.i hadnt talked to him for over a year and a couple years before that.My cousin had my grandmas farm after she died and ended up losing it to a messy messy divorce,which was really hard for all of us to see the family farm go to someone who wasnt really family and didnt care about it or have the memories like we did.We talked about how we dont have family dinners all the time anymore and how holidays have become meaningless because we havent all stuck together. It was,afterall, my grandmothers on both my mom and dads side who held th family together because after they were gone,it was all gone.So after a bittersweet conversation we came to the conclusion that you cant bring someone back by hanging onto things and we made a pact to bring our families or at least ourselves back together and to talk more than once a year.He and his wife are coming out to california after I get settled and I plan to cook him the biggest christmas thanksgiving easter dinner ever made.new potatoes and green beans,sweet corn,gooseberrie pie............i can feel myself getting fatter already. :) i love you heath!

Can I just say....

(photo is of a butter cow from the iowa state fair,im homesick this week)
Ok,let me just tell you,and pardon my french right now but I just have to say it...my kids have lost their damn minds.Well the 3 left at home anyway and Im afraid to talk to the oldest one for fear he has lost his too.Granted I have a boyfriend but hes living in San Diego and Iam here in Az til the end of the summer. So Iam a single parent.These kids I dunno,Im not sure if its because the heat has kicked up here and its been 100 everyday or if its because the last day of school is next week but I swear not a one of these usually bright children have a brain to their heads.If I told you you wouldnt even believe.... lord how I miss the days where I was once again a single parent and all 4 of them were little and making messes and biting each other and pooping their diapers all at once. i would live a lifetime of those days in exchange for the nightmare that is parenting teenagers nowdays.Dont get me wrong, people who have been around my kids will tell you they are very sweet kind respectful kids,that was always my biggest thing and I have accomplished that but today Iam wondering if a one of them has a lick of common sense in their head.This isnt a normal occurance,its just been the last 2 days,spring fever maybe? This summer is a big summer for us,Eli is graduating highschool (with great grades i might add) and turning 18 next week,a few short weeks after that Mariahiesha is turning sweet 16,a few weeks after that,my oldest Noah is turning the dreaded 21,a few weeks after that my youngest Shyloh is turning....god forbid..13. all monumental birthdays all in the same year all a week or so apart. I didnt even plan that. And when all that is said and done we are packing up and starting a new life in San Diego,that is if I make it thru this new craziness. TEENAGERS UGH!!! IM RUNNING AWAY! WHOSE WITH ME???



Courthouse where I used to sneak off and meet my first boyfriend Tracy,who I havent seen in 19 yrs and called me out of the blue yesterday.Its really strange how much becoming "citified" has changed me.lolAnd old really old..Dont get any ideas mariah!!!!

The girls made it to their new home!

My well traveled dolls made it to their new home in Spain. You can read about it and see pictures here.
If you get a chance check out her shop too. She makes the sweetest things!

Meet Hannah

She is very sweet and quiet.She doesnt eat much but she says she prefers to eat dark chocolate at least once a day. You can find her here

little wip deer

Heres the little mohair deer so far,I cant decide where to put his eyes or what to put around his neck.

oh happy day oh happy day

let me start off by saying. i mostly hate doritos. once in awhile i like the salsa verde ones with lemon squeezed all over them. i learned that from a cute little mexican lady i used to work with at the assisted living home.i didnt understand anything she said but she taught me how to eat! normally im a plain old fashioned chip girl. no flavors just potato goodness. or once in awhile sea salt and malt vinegar chips. but thats it. id rather keel over than to eat regular doritos. well then today it happened. i was getting groceries and seen these. i thought it would be a fun thing for the kids to try. and try them we did. OH I CANT TELL YOU HOW HAPPY IAM! cheeseburger chips! and like my daughter said,its not like the other chips where they are like a flavored chip. you know a chip with taco flavoring or something like that. hello people it will give you a willy wonka amazing gobstopper flashback even though youve never been there! you can taste dill you can taste cheeseburger and i really think you can taste ketchup! but not in a bad way like youd think! oh joy of joys!! and not only that doritos is putting out an american flavor!it says on the bag "all american flavor" yay!!!!!i dunno maybe im silly but i think its great.the very idea of is it great but the fact that it tastes good too makes it even better.. what next... fried chicken flavor?????? oooo ooo oo how about apple pie flavor potato chips? ok never mind.

short and sweet

i posted a bunch of stuff on etsy today.no real news from my drs appt. im tempted to give up and just let my arm hang permanently....if it wasnt for sewing i would...
here are a few of the things i listed...




oh, and i almost forgot...i did mail the items that were sold yesterday but i didnt get out the swap items or gifts. i had no idea about international shipping and something that wouldve cost me $7.00 here cost me $30.00 so i was a little short...alot short. lol i had no idea!

It starts with baby steps..

ok i did it,the long awaited for shop. Well long awaited to me only Im sure. So far Ive listed mostly mexican folkart and some vintage but Im going to be adding to it all the time. I still have over 50 photos in my camera and that doesnt even put a dent in what I want to list...At some point I want it to be strctly vintage but right now its a very strange garage sale... STRANGE GARAGE SALE HERE
and if that not what your looking for I did add a couple things here.
I have a drs appt tomarrow but I will be around to entertain you in the evening. :) xo

OK I lied..Im sorry.

I said I would have the new shop up yesterday and I didnt. I did post a couple new things on etsy but that is all... Let me tell you why though.. first off I now understand why most things in mohair are small. I paid more for a 9x9 square of mohair than I will willingly pay for a yard of fabric. Ok when I was ordering my little square I was thinking oh 9x9 thats a good size to get one deer. Well it got here yesterday and I realized how small it actually was..and let me say its so expensive I was almost afraid to touch it let alone cut it. Seriously maybe Im dumb but I had no idea. None.
So after hours of debating and wondering if I should just save it and buy one more I did it. I drew up a deer pattern to fit a 9x9 piece of fabric.. now my old friends know how much I love to sew small things...egaad....
But heres what I have so far and yes its a nightmare and yes there is some swearing involved... I now have a healthy respect for people who make teeny things and have the bravery to cut into that mohair to do it.he looks blue but he is a lovely aqua.

24 hours of flickr,sleep and shop updates..

So yesterday was 24 hours of flickr
Did ya'll sign up? I did and at first I was afraid I wouldnt be able to find anything interesting to contribute but in the end the girls and I just had a good time.It was a pretty quiet day which I would rather have anyway.I love looking at other peoples photos in the group because they are things I wouldnt normally look for.Mostly I look for arts and crafts on flickr and thats just a teeny portion of what there is out there.

I didnt get my shop updated the way I wanted to today because I slept almost all day but I did add a couple things. I found this new place called ecrater and have decided to use that for all of my vintage stuff instead of etsy.I have way to many things and Im fearful of getting charged for listing and then not selling.I will post a link for it when its done,after I move its going to be nothing but vintage but until then Im going to try to unload everything I have on there,supplies,fabric,art,vintage,clothes. You name it it will be there. Link tomarrow.
Thank you to the people who have tried to help me with the link situation,I will be contacting you for your address. What it turned out to be is that Im using a mac and safari and Im new to both.Well with safari your only options on here are to add a picture. So I downloaded mozilla and I have the link option and everything now.Makes you wonder how your page looks to other people doesnt it?
Just to let everyone know I usually only have a ride to ship things on saturdays but that person didnt show up yesterday so Im aiming for tuesday when i go to the dr.I will keep you posted and thank you for waiting!!
Ok I think Ive gone on enough Im going to back to the couch and Beach Blanket Bingo. geesh I love that movie.

another day another drs appt....

Today I finally broke down and got pain medication for my shoulder to hold me over until I see my o.s on Monday to see what we are going to do about it.I normally dont even take tylenol or anything. i hate taking pills and I live in an area where you can just pop over the border and get any pills you want without a script so I see alot of people with pill taking addictions and it scares me.I also have a very high tolerance for pain,Ive had my tongue split 3 inches back with nothing what so ever to numb it and then maintained it by cutting it back for a year after with nothing for pain.Ive also had pretty near my entire forhead tattooed and that my friends is like someone engraving your skull.So anyway back to the point,I have a very high tolerance for pain and if its something I cant take then I imagine it must be pretty painful.So with my pill popping phobia I told the nurse I was afraid of getting addicted to something and I also cant be sleeping all the time. I just want to be able to sew and not feel like Im getting stabbed every minute of the day.So they gave me something and reassured me it was very light..Ok they were right. It is very light now Im in extreme pain and loopy.So my question is do painkillers take away the pain or do they just make you loopy enough you dont care?If im going to just be loaded and miserable im just going to leave it at this and suffer thru.
In case your a new reader I recently went in for a check up after over 5 years of not going to the dr at all and was found to have extremely low platelets and have gone to countless drs appts to find out why and hae been frightened with everything from leukemia to hiv (they were just sure i had hiv because im tattooed) only to find out its none of the above . So to have this happen to my arm after all this other medical crap just makes me miserable. So I dunno, to drug it or not to drug it that is the question.
On a brighter note after going thru a week of having it 100 degrees in my house they came and put the new ac in today!!! Of course its not hot today either,its only in the 80s but at least I have it for the future.Iam so happy about that.They had to bring a crane to put it on top of the condo.I shouldve taken pictures but I forgot.
Tomarrow is 24 hrs of flickr whih I signed up for and today Im in a panic that I will not have anything interesting enough to add.I mostly plan to lay on the couch and sew when I can. not too interesting.
Jessie wants me to post in my blog some of my favorite things and Im pretty sure I would do anything for jessie so here goes in no special order..
any seeds because im moving into a new house in san diego this summer
rocks
pieces of rusty broken metal
pink
red and aqua
birds
ricrac and buttons
vintage fabric
anything with sugar of course
embroidery stuff
tea
and flowers in anyway and every kind.
Hey jesse I was just looking at your painting and noticed all the birdhouse gourds,we used to make those as a kid.
so now im also hunting out gourds or gourd seeds!
hmm ok thats all I can think of.Im pretty sure if my arm would stop hurting I would love everything I see. haha.

The Dealio

So first of all I was tagged by the fantastic Jessie Lavon of purple cucumber to put up my 5 favorite blogs. If you get a chance go see her work.I instantly fell in love with Jesse, just reading what she writes reminds me of my great grandma and makes me miss back home.
I havent been able to figure out how to make it so you can click the links but they are all in my links list. So check it out!
1) http://jessielavon.blogspot.com/ of purple cucumber
2) http://catbishop.blogspot.com/ I own 3 pieces of cats work and i love them dearly.
3) http://www.spiritcloth.typepad.com/ looking at judes work has pushed me to want to be more creative and i have learned alot from her. not to mention i take out the fantastic fabric she sent me and rub it almost daily but cant bear to cut it!
4) http://treefalldesign.typepad.com/ i love the way amanda puts things together and i look at her stuff alot when im trying to figure out what i want for my new home.
5) http://workinprogress-wip.blogspot.com/ carol is an amazing wonder woman and i have no idea how she does what she does. she also has stood by me and supported me more than any friend ive had in a long long time.
So I broke down and asked the Dr about my arm yesterday since I was there for my other bizarre stuff anyway. We did xrays and all that and it appears I have a torn rotator cuff (cup?) So I have to go back in and discuss options surgery ect ect.
Has anyone else signed up for 24 hrs of flickr? If not you should!
I made the little kanga above this week. There will be a big shop update on sunday!! xoxoxoxo
p.s if anyone can show me how to put a link it and have it be a word i will send you a softie. also if you get the green tea baking mix from traders joes add choc chips!

i think its officially here..

summer in arizona. and i dont think its going away this time. time to hide during the day and adjust the schedule so everything gets done at night. its 1:16 am right now. the kids and dogs are all sleeping and the only noise is the fan. which i love love love.makes me homesick and miss taking naps at my grandmas. theres not even the noise of police helicopters which is rare.
ive heard people say that they cant sleep without city noises and could never imagine that being true. i grew up with the sounds of crickets and huge skies full of tons of stars. you could go months without ever hearing the sounds of an ambulance or fire engine. its not going to be long and i will be hearing new noises.its been so long that paul and i have been apart its hard to believe its only a few short months away and i will be living in san diego. this is a very big year for us. first off my oldest is turning 21 my second oldest 18,my oldest daughter 16, and my youngest 13. all important milestones in a life.and all at once in one year. i couldnt have planned it any better. and we are also moving to california and starting a new life.. makes me think i should buy a lottery ticket. i look back at when i had my oldest and what i wanted for him and the dreams i had. all i ever really wanted for my kids was to be respectful to all living things and to be kind and i figured if they had that everything else would fall into place. keep in mind i was only 16 at the time i wasnt thinking about what colleges they would go to or jobs they would have. but you know, i DID raise very respectful kind kids just like the kid that i was set out to do.and im not sure what path their lives will take but iam sure of that and proud of them. when they were little and i would get mushy like this i would wake them up or try to just to kiss them and tell them i love them. now that they are teenagers do you think i could get away with that? lol maybe i will just go wake up the dogs....

lyrics from scene aesthetics bird and boat
im going to try to make something related to this for one of the special bdays

If you'll be my star, I'll be your sky
You can hide underneath me and come out at night
When I turn jet black and you show off your light

I live to let you shine
I live to let you shine

You can sky rocket away from me
And never come back if you find another galaxy
Far from here, with more room to fly
Just leave me your stardust to remember you by

If you'll be my boat, I'll be your sea
Depth of pure blue to provoke curiosity
Ebbing and flowing, and pushed by a breeze

I live to make you free
I live to make you free

And you can set sail to the west if you want to
Pass the horizon 'til I can't even see you
Far from here, where the beaches are wide
Just leave me your wake to remember you by

If you'll be my star, I'll be your sky
You can hide underneath me and come out at night
When I turn jet black and you show off your light

I live to let you shine
I live to let you shine

You can sky rocket away from me
And never come back if you find another galaxy
Far from here, with more room to fly
Just leave me your stardust to remember you by

Stardust to remember you by.

Sunday morning coming down..

This weekend has been eventfully uneventful. yesterday I picked up a piece of wood to paint on...with brushes.. which terrifies me. iI would much rather use qtips like I did for these (if someone can teach me how to turn a link into a word i wisll send you something) Im determined not to fall back into qtips.I prefer prismacolor pencils and know my way around them to the point I dont even look at the color I read the name of the color and know what to put it with. But you cannot use prismacolor on wood and canvas very well so Im limited.
My ac is broken and my mom said it is supposed to be 100 here this weekend so I covered all the windows and its quite cavelike.I love it.
Other than that nothing is going on really. We are going to my moms house and grilling today.It will be the last time we see her for about a month. She off on another adventure,greece,turkey and egypt this time.i cant wait to see her pictures.Im feeling a little anxious about her being gone that long and Im not sure why.Shes been all over the place.I think alot of it is that my health problems have brought us closer and this is the first time shes left since all of that has happened.
Tonight Im going to paint , listen to dreamy justin timberlake (shhhhh thats a secret) and get packages ready to go out tomarrow. If I make any headway on the painting I will show you tomarrow. happy sunday all. xo

ahhh....its friday....

Mondays used to be my favorite days because I would be so worn out from tattooing and running the shop over the weekend but now that Im not tattooing and it's just the kids and I I adore weekends. From the time my kids leave for school until about 11 I feel anxious that something happened to them on the way to school. I figure by 11 the school wouldve called if they didnt make it.I blame this anxiety on the school calling me and telling me my daughter wasnt there when she really was.My kids arent school skippers so if they arent there without my knowledge I know its something bad.The school let me go 2 hours in complete panic and terror until they realized they called the wrong parent. Its like a big sigh of relief when the last one comes home on friday and then I have a tendency to not answer my phone and try to keep them home all weekend. I love it. Being teenagers they probably dont,and dont get me wrong I do let them out but when I do i go thru the same panic as I do during the week and I have a tendency to call and check on them repeatedly. My oldest still in the house is going to be 18 in a few weeks so I work really hard not to hold him hostage but its an effort believe me. This weekend I plan to put the sewing machine away and work on drawing. Paul brought me an illustrator program last weekend and Im determined to learn how to use it. I spend alot of time looking at illustrators blogs in envy. Learning to tattoo the old school way,all of my art has a a thick black outline around it I keep telling everyone how I wish to do art with no outlines. or at least have it appear to have no outlines.....Ok I think Ive rambled on sufficently. The photo above is a birdbath pincushion Im working on. i made them so they can hold things too. My house is being overrun by chenille birds of all shapes and sizes that Im saving for future projects but I thought it would be fun to finish these up and put them in etsy. Anyway have a good weekend all!

housework

I was thinking tonight that housework with kids is like going to war. By no means am I comparing housework to what we are currently going thru now or any war in the past but more like the battles we had as children taking it very seriously but it didnt really have any signifigance to anyone in the world but us. I have literally spent half of my life as a single parent of 4 children and even though one has flown the coop there are still 3 in the wonderful stage that is teenagedom.(I have not seen such horror since the last one was in the throws of terrible twodom) As I was cleaning off counters and putting in the dishes in the sink I felt like possibly I won the war today. They were all fed,had clean pajamas for bed and clean clothes for tomarrow. We wouldnt be embarassed if someone came into our house today,lol.so then I had to think ahead towards tomarrow what they are going to eat,where they need to go,who needs to get up at what time and what do they like for breakfast and do I have it.One thing Ive learned recently is that if I dont have something for them or I dont get it done I shouldnt beat myself up for it so hard because I may have lost one battle I have not lost the war.Heres to us all wining are battle tomarrow. :)

softies,blog fright,and dumpster dived chairs...

I realized today that i have a bit of blog fright. I have a long list of blogs that I like to read often if not daily. (will add links soon) I find their lives ,colorful, and very interesting. My life... not so much and I always feel like I should have something meaningful to say or not ay anything at all. Soooo....here Iam with yet another lonely empty blog.
I will try harder.... promise.
So, this weekend Paul came to visit and it was a very nice uneventful visit except one thing.... and this is where I learned a lesson that I will pass onto you.Come here,closer....I dont really want anyone to hear...its kind of embarassing...
Im moving to San Diego this summer and to cut down on the cost of moving I plan on leaving alot of things behind. Mostly furniture. So when my last kitchen chair broke I didnt replace,I waited and when I found what seemed like a nice set of patio chairs by the dumpster I thanked the dumpster gods and brought them home. Well,do you wonder why someone would put nice patio chairs in the dumpster? I didnt.I should have. When the first 3 broke on my teeny daughter Mariah.I didnt think too much about it. All that happened was her bottom dropped a little and I would tease her that she was eating too many cookies. the last one looked fine....yup. To someone who needs glasses. So the other night I was sitting in the chair at the computer and was showing Paul some fantastic artist I found and the next thing I know Im looking straight up at
the ceiling and pauls taking pictures.(i do not yet have the courage to show these pictures lol)
I had pretty near brought everything on the table down on me.
yup.
im not a little girl either.
I have a stone floor.
I landed on my elbow.
uggh
I have spent the last couple days trying to decide if Iam being my typical drama queen self or if I should go to the dr.Im thinking it must be jammed like a finger as it hurts clear up to my shoulder. Given my health background I shouldnt be such a wuss and go but on the other hand considering my background in health...lol I figure I will give it a couple days and see.
But yeah..be careful with dumpster chairs.... :)
On a good note I can sew one armed.... updated the shop today and have more tomarrow. :)

my secret madness....

i realized today that i have a strange obsession with anthro flowers.

(maybe if we are quiet and dont move she will leave)

pay no attention to that poor little squirrel laying on his side over there. i had nothing to do with that i swear.
what are you looking at me like that for? i didnt do it. i didnt.

this is how i dream sometimes....

sigh....

after much hemming and hawing (did i spell that right?? and what exactly is hawing?) i have started an etsy and a new blog. i have alot more items to put on etsy but at least i got a start on it. im sure it will go faster when i have done it a few times.it doesnt help i have a mac now and i have no idea where the pictures go when i unload the camera. ooooo dell laptop how do i miss thee and love thee let me count the ways....