Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas...

may your holiday be filled with peace, love and joy!


Marilyn
xoxo

checklist...?

How often, especially around this time of the month, do I wonder "where did the month go and what did I do with it?" As a crafter, it is difficult for me to hold back such thoughts and question if I've done one single creative thing this month?!

I don't care to measure my days by the number of crafty items I've produced, but I do like to hope that I am being attentive to the creative side of life. My head is constantly spinning with ideas...so if I don't "do", will I lose those ideas or will they get tangled up with each other and turn into lousy ideas? Or worse yet, will I go crazy because the creative outlet door is closed? OK, a bit dramatic but just where did this month go and what did I do with it?

Immediately, I can tell you that our family celebrated two birthdays, #26 for both second-oldest-daughter and daughter-in-law. And, if I say so myself, we have the best birthday parties around, lol! Not because of anything we do, but because of who we are and how much we enjoy one another!

We also attended the wedding of a special young couple this month. We've known the bride since her middle school years and we adore her. Her new husband is delightful and we couldn't be happier for the two of them. The wedding was lovely and the reception was great fun. I didn't have to do a thing except enjoy the specialness of the evening!

You know, I'm already starting to feel like it's been a full and fruitful month--that's good!



As for creativity, how about other possibilities? Like baking...











Rick does all of the cooking at our house (yes, I am very lucky!) but every now and then I feel like baking something.










Or decorating...I framed and hung this poster of a Santa Fe Village--I love the colors!














Oh! I made a bracelet for the first time!

It was a kit that I purchased from French General--gotta love trying something new.








And I changed the look of my blog and I started my online workshop and I'm sewing a garment for a friend and I'm reading a novel!











I think I'm on a roll. But it's not a checklist. It's life and not all of it is tangible--in fact, the best parts aren't!

Well, alrighty, so much for my lament of April...there's a whole week left!

Marilyn

I Heard Birds Singing!

Can SPRING really be on the way?!

It's been a lo-o-ong winter this year. Seems, in past years, we would get a day or two of sunshine and moderate temperatures along the way. But winter didn't seem as playful this year...no teasing with gifts of spring-like-days-even-though-it's-still-winter...that I can recall.

So yesterday, I was elated when I could throw open the doors and let in that sweet smell of early spring. And when I did the same thing this morning and heard the birds singing, well, how wonderful is that?!

That sweet birdy photo up there? I took that on Christmas Eve when we were in Santa Fe, NM! Hard for me to believe--I think IT looks like spring. Yep, I'm so done with winter I'm looking for signs wherever I can. And, yes, I've lived in the midwest long enough to know that all of this could change within days or even hours, but for now, I'm feelin' SPRING-Y!

Marilyn

A Visual Being

I'm a "visual" person. I largely experience the world with my eyes. Nothing unusual...I would guess that many creators of visual art experience the world that way. I'm a visual-learner. Again, nothing unusual--if I remember correctly, a large percentage of the population are visual-learners. I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that I am and remind myself what a joy it can be. There is so much around us to be seen and all we have to do is look. We can catalog an image in our memory, or with a camera, to call upon at a later date. Or we can enjoy it for a moment and be glad that we noticed.....


Rick and I love pottery. We bought three pieces on our trip to Santa Fe--a baking dish with a lid made by one artist and two colorful mugs made by another. We found a place in our kitchen for the baking dish right away. However, the mugs sat on a counter top for a while--until last night, when suddenly, it seemed so apparent where they should be displayed! I have been buying Fiestaware dishes for about eight years. I love the colors and I love the random look of our table when it is set with the dishes. Some of our Fiestaware dishes are kept in cabinets and some are out in the open on a baker's rack. The ones on the baker's rack are our current favorite colors and now the mugs are there also. It's perfect! The colors in the mugs fit well with the other dishes--like long lost cousins--and it is such a delight!

Marilyn

I love trees!

I realize that I have been thinking a lot about trees recently. For example, the Christmas tree in our home...when and where to put it up, how to decorate it and when to take it down. The few weeks that it is up and decorated are pure enjoyment. I love Christmas trees!

I took along a little Christmas tree for our room in Santa Fe--little, as in 12 inches tall (short?), including the pot. I bought three locally-made tin ornaments from one of the Christmas stores near the Santa Fe Plaza for decoration and it was beautiful! I will always love that little tree--so many wonderful memories!

Then there is the huge tree in our backyard that is home to A LOT of squirrels, complete with knot holes that they climb in and out of. They fly from branch to branch like little acrobats and they're just hilarious! I don't know how much time I spend watching those crazy squirrels, but what a luxury! In the past month, several of the trees in our backyard, including this one, were damaged due to some fierce ice storms. We called a tree trimmer for an estimate to get the damage cleaned up. I was afraid he might say the tree needed to be removed as we thought it was basically hollow. However, much to my delight, he said it only needed some major pruning. What great news...I love that tree!

And just yesterday, Rick and I went to church to hang a Tree of Life art piece that we purchased in memory of his Aunt Mona. The piece was hand woven in India with natural and dyed cotton and jute fibers. We bought the piece at a non-profit, fair trade store and information came with it that says, "The Indian symbol for life, security and community is portayed in your wall hanging. In many Indian villages important meetings are held under the largest tree."

I did a small amount of research and learned that the Tree of Life is an ancient and universal symbol and symbolizes many things. My favorite is the Tree of Life as the life giving source that sustains and nourishes us and a symbol of growth. I think I'm going to start looking anew at trees and remember my desire for creative, personal and spiritual growth.

I love trees!

Marilyn

More Santa Fe Inspiration

While in Santa Fe, on the day after Christmas (better known, in our family, as Rick's birthday), I visited the greatest rubber stamp store! How can you go wrong in a store named Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps? It is located across the street from the Plaza in a building on the second floor with 3 or 4 other stores. I walked in and was greeted by Jess, a fun and friendly young woman. She loves her job and was extremely helpful. There were a half dozen or so shoppers in the store and she was anxious to show us some of the many rubber stamping possibilities. The store carries 100 different lines of stamps, but I chose to limit my purchases to the store's own StampaFe and Our Lady of Rubber lines, and a couple from Stamp A Mania (Las Cruces, NM). I can't wait to start playing!

And how is this for inspiration? Three different nights, three different skies...

Glorious! Isn't it?

Marilyn

Happy New Year!

What a better time to start a new blog than at the beginning of a New Year!

And what a better time to start a new blog than at a time when I am feeling full of inspiration! My wonderful husband planned a surprise Christmas getaway for us to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, which was on October the 19th. He chose one of our favorite places--Santa Fe, New Mexico.

It was awesome! The rich light and magnificent skies warmly greeted us, just as they do in the summer months, but snow on the high desert landscape was new and exciting and beautiful!
The landscape and the spirit of the city...its art and architecture, its culture and food...are reasons we love Santa Fe. What an excellent place for rest and renewal.














And, oh, what it did for my creative urges!!! Oh, yes! I hope to be sharing pictures of the resulting art work very soon.

Until then, I am wishing you and your's a happy and healthy 2008!

May you find peace, comfort and joy in all of your creative endeavors.

Marilyn