psst

It started last Wednesday. The little whisper in the back of my brain.

"Psst! Hey you. Yeah you. Don't you want to go out to your work bench? Don't you want to make some jewelry? Those great topaz stones are just sitting there collecting dust. Come on. The baby is sleeping. Come on out and work for a bit."

I told myself I was going to stay away. I wanted to give the baby my full attention. No working until August. The Fall collection could wait.

But I just can't seem to do it. I miss Joan. Joan of the Anahatna art. Joan my muse. She gives me such inspiration as I sit there contemplating beads and life.

I had to make Jenny some earrings for her birthday. That's what she asked for and well, she is my right hand girl and I like to take good care of my people.

So I fiddled a little and then I thought- what the hell?

And that is how I ended up, back at my work bench, pounding away, listening to Josh Ritter and talking to Joan on a very warm day in July, exactly eleven days before I said I would return.

And you know what? I'm happy about it.

like licorice ice cream

Somethings never die. Like licorice ice cream. You may think that it is a thing of the past, gone the way of petticoats and horehound candy, but it's still around. I know because I order up a double scoop every time I go to the dairy down the street from my parents house.

I guess it is still around because I still order it. And if I order it, that must mean that other people like it as well.

I have been complimented on my taste.

I just wish someone would explain to me why the color it blue. I mean, what's the deal with that?

And photo booths. I'm pretty passionate about photo booths. I hope they never go away. The digital ones aren't as good as the old ones. The pictures are too crisp, but sometimes I settle.

If you want a real old fashion photo booth experience, go here and find one in your area.


Also, gift idea for yours truly. . .

It's a little pricey as far as books go, but well worth the moola if you ask me.

Does this guy look like the type of person who would use a photo booth?

Photo booths will never go away. Everyone loves them. Even crusty old sailors with questionable objects in their mouths.

wednesday

All I really wanted to do today was knit.

Instead, I made these earrings, did the wash, went to the post office, cleaned up several messes made by boy/dog, hooked up a new modem, had a new washer/dryer delivered, cleaned up the yard and started sewing new valances for my kitchen. What can I say? Life forces me to be somewhat productive. Maybe when I become a great-grandmother I can spend my days knitting. For now I must go get a crying boy to go to sleep.

kraken n' coffee

Can anyone out there tell me why I am so incredibly fascinated by Jacque Cousteau? I mean really, I have never even been diving. I do, however, narrate to myself with a French accent when I snorkel. It seems more exotic that way. I love to find old publications of Cousteau's books. The colors in them are so bright, so unreal. He fancied himself a serious biologist, but he interpreted things the way he wanted to see them. I guess I'm a little that way as well.

Jump with me now from Cousteu to just plain crazy. What's with sailors and their legends and superstitions? They're worse than baseball players. Did you know that Scottish law once required fishermen to wear a gold earring, which was used to pay for funeral expenses if they were drowned and washed ashore? Sailors gave us mermaids and kraken, that oh so mythical octopus like creature that attacks ships apparently to devour the people aboard. Now that's just silly. But I couldn't leave something like that alone. I had to immortalize it in jewelry as I have a tendency to do.

So there's all that swarthy sea business, and then there's Fin. My mocha cappuccino cutie pie. He's irresistible.

compromise

I honestly try to be a fun mom. I take Thom to Disneyland and Lego Land. I buy play dough and finger paints. I even bought him some Incredibles pajamas and I really hate characters on clothing. It's not easy when our style sense clashes on a daily basis.

But I had to draw the line when he wanted "John Deer" fabric. I just couldn't bring myself to, not only buy it at $8 a yard, but then spend time sewing it into a blanket. So we compromised.

Thank heaven for "surfer" style.

I used "minky" fabric on the back. It is soooo incredibly soft, but let me tell ya, it's a b. to sew with. The fish, name and surfboard are all embroidered. I wonder how long it will take him to spill grape juice on it.

do poppies grow in india?

Maharani Earrings

just do it

Percy the Plum Partridge

I was thinking today in spinning class that, damn, this is rough, but also about gumption in general. More often than not, things seem harder than they really are. Most projects worth doing may seem from the outset very complicated and time consuming. And they may be just that. But they might not.

It has been my experience (for what it's worth) that if you break something down into small steps you will be able to work through it. Now, I don't expect to be really good at many things. For instance, I suck at origami and lego construction. Try as I might, my pasta sauce is acidic. This is just to name but a small few. But I carry on, folding paper and cooking tomatoes on a regular basis, because I like to do these things.

The purpose for all this prattle is just to put out to the universe the good energy I had today as I sweated my brains out, proud of myself for making it to the gym one more day. I just want to say that if there is something you have been thinking about trying to do- for heaven's sakes, get off you kiester and do it. Start small and work your way into it. For my part, I think Sugar Daddy might put a moratorium on any new ventures in a the near future. The quilting project is still taking up most of the kitchen island.

i may have a.d.d.

As if I didn't have enough hobbies and projects to consume all of my time, I decided to try my hand at quilting. Last Friday Sugar Daddy went on a rock climbing over-night trip and so I decided to hunker down for a night in. I put a Disney movie on for the boy, ordered in a pizza, dawned a pair of old sweats, pulled my hair back into a messy bun and went to work on my first quilt. Okay, I must admit here that it was a kit quilt that I got on sale at the fabric store. The instructions were probably written for someone in fifth grade. But, hey, it was on my level. I think it turned out pretty good. I can't wait to wrap it around Mei Mei.



Unfortunately, I seem to have caught the quilt bug. I made another trip to the fabric store (a very stressful trip with a four-year-old boy playing rocket with the thread and begging me to buy a flannel with a John Deer print). I am combining a little embroidery into this one. I am thinking of giving it to my niece for her birthday.

I guess after this I will be making an incredibly ugly John Deer quilt for Thomas. Don't expect a post on that one.