The Year That Was

:: January ::
I left the confines of my dungeonous basement studio and set up shop in #307 of the Hungerford Building in downtown Rochester. Oh how I love my studio and I love that they only time I spend in the basement now is to run down and drab something in storage. I don't care how big the laundry pile gets. I just can't tell you the peace that settles into me when I think of my studio now. It really is the building as a whole that give me that feeling. I have meet some truly great artists/people/friends there and I think that is absolutely priceless.



:: February ::
I turned 33, a number I absolutely despise. Not because it makes me think myself old, not at all. But because I really like multiples of 5 or even numbers. 11 and 33 really are the worst. Most of the month was spent meeting my first deadline for my second book, Rustic Wrappings. But in there I did a First Friday in my studio and became more confident in myself as to what I will accept from the public and what I won't. As I have scrolled through old posts this morning, I think this one summed up February best and I think I should do that at the end of the month more often.



:: March ::
My first book, Totally Twisted, was voted Best Beading Book of 2010 and I couldn't be prouder of that. You all made that happen and you ROCK!



:: April ::
I remember April because it was the month I took the kids on their first proper road trip. We filled up the car and headed down to spend a week with my best friend Kelley in Hampton VA. It was such an awesome week. The kids are insisting we do it every April and I think I'm obliged to make that happen. We drove every where when I was a kid. There was no way my parents could afford airfare for 4, so all our cross country trips were by automobile. I love driving far away places. Hmmm.... wonder where else we could drive off to?



:: May ::
So much more of our time was moving outside. The year of the exterior started when, throughout the summer, we created new gardens, power washed and stained the deck, painted the house, and had new basement windows put in. It was also a mental turning point for me. I remember distinctly seeing one photo of myself in particular that I just could not stand. I started running on a regular basis and counting calories and the pounds started coming off. By September, I was down 35 pounds (some of which have come back thanks to the damn Holidays).



:: June ::
It was down right crazy. I turned in the final pages of Rustic Wrappings, painted the house, the kids got out of school, and I turned to just posting photos for the month as a way to cope. I am so happy I followed through on that, because Picture Color was awesome.



:: July ::
For me, July is always the most difficult month of the year. The kids are home and the initial excitement of summer as worn off, boredom has set in. We keep busy as best we can and wait for the days to pass. I knit Lauren a cute sweater in July, and I made a quilt to hang on the walls in the studio. I think I got to spend all of 4 hours total in the studio all month long. I'm not complaining, mind you. I feel very fortunate that I can be home with my kids. I know there are lots of Mom's out there that would give their right arm to do the same.



:: August ::
I gotta say, August was kinda fun this year. The last two weeks of summer I tried to do something around town everyday with the kids. We did a ton of cool stuff (like visit The National Museum Of Play) and then, we spent a few days down at my Aunt's cottage on Keuka lake. I always dread asking to use the cottage, feeling like we should just get our own, but I am always thankful when we get there. There are so many good memories in that little place and I hope my kids are making some good memories of their own.



:: September ::
And then... school was back in session and I was in heaven. And, I started preparing for what would be a whirlwind Fall. Besides school starting, ArtBliss is always a high point in the month. This year, I debuted my new class, Snaptastic, and then by the end of the month, I launched the e-course. I still pinch myself when I think about that. I always hoped I would work up the nerve to host an online class, and I'm proud I made that happen.



:: October ::
I went to NYC. Enough said. HA! So many incredible memories burned into during my week there. It was unforgettable.



:: November ::
As soon as I got back from NYC and all through November, I worked my ass off preparing for the OOAK Show Chicago. I pushed myself in ways, creatively, that I didn't know I was capable of. I made over 250 pieces of unique and awesome jewelry in just 6 weeks. All the while, balancing family life. We still had our Fall Walk, we celebrated Jacob's 14th birthday, and we had a great Thanksgiving. I think I will look back though and think it was mostly all a blur. So many hours working, so many long days... where did that time go?



:: December ::
Oh December, December, December... I think I have lived a whole year in this single month. It is another one that will be ingrained on me in an unforgettable way. The gamut of emotions are still with me and honestly, I'm still a bit tender about it. There was incredible highs and incredible lows. I am so looking forward to turning the calendar to January and seeing what this new year has to hold.

It's Always Saturday

she went to bed after 11pm, then woke up at 3am, and again at 5am...
we opened presents at 6am, she couldn't wait any longer

Oh my stars... can you feel that full body releasing stretch from head to toe? It's coupled with a big old yawn and in a minute or two there will be a big sigh too. What a lovely (yet weather-wise, ugly) few days its been. We haven't had a lick of snow, and the sun has shown for all of 10 minutes. I think we entered some sort of strange time continuum. Every day is feeling like Saturday and no matter what time it is, it never feels like the time that the clock says it is.



he was the hardest to wake up, and decided to take up the whole couch.
he is taller than me these days.

 I'm sure you know the feeling. (Not the feeling of having a 14yr old taller than you... ignore the captions, they don't go with the text.) I imagine the sensation of time crawling and flying at the same time will last straight through the new year, at least for us. Not a single one of us has a single have-to-do commitment until January 3rd. That means random little projects here and there, watching lots of movies we have missed renting, unexpected gatherings with visitors, sleepover parties, too.many.sweets, complete overhauling of bedrooms to make way for the new gifts, several visits to drop off donations at Goodwill as a result, a few more sweets, going to bed early and sleeping late, ignoring the beeps from our cell phones, keeping the Christmas tree up all week despite my usual need to take it down the very next day, a party or two, and oh am I being nagged by the desire to knit and there is a total lack of projects before me!  See... it is your typical Saturday, all week long.

about a bazillion apps at the touch of your finger...
haven't decided if that is a good thing or bad thing yet. he has had his new pjs on for 3 days.

Needless to say, my time here will be spotty throughout the next week. I am sure once things return to normal in our home, it will get back to normal here too. I always feel like this time of year isn't for blogging anyway. You should be loving your family, not reading stuff from me. So... turn that computer off, grab another sugar cookie, and start a game of Monopoly with someone. Though, don't ask me to play, because it is the only game I won't play with anyone in this house. They all cheat and won't ever trade properties with me.



Wishing You The Merriest Of Holidays and a JOYOUS New Year...
with love from The Bogerts.

Now Playing

Yee haw! Ron boy got the jukebox lights working today and we made tags for the 45s that are currently loaded. Sadly, we don't have any Christmas 45s... but maybe by next year.

I just played The Everly Brothers Claudette, The Beatles PS I love you, and Sam Cooke You Send Me...

The Noisy Plume is having a Christmas Tree Photo contest... go check out all the lovely trees!!! Vote for your favorite and it is totally okay if you like another more than mine.

Boo's Bunting

Early Morning

:: yes, I step quickly into the snow, barefooted, to get a few pieces of wood to start the day's fire
:: it is so wonderful to finally see some white and wishing it will last but knowing rain is on the way
:: last night, restless, I watched the outline of a deer graze in the dark of my backyard
:: I hate the annual debate about what is enough when it comes to gift giving
:: finished two of my handmade gifts over the weekend, starting another today
:: Lauren is completely convinced her Momma-made gift is some hand knit socks... it isn't
:: Ron decided we needed to purge and organize our master bedroom closet yesterday... I hung his golf shirts in color order
:: saw a short piece on PBS that is causing me to long to make marmalade, but sadly I only know one good marmalade recipe and the 24 half pints would probably go to waste
:: marmalade recipe... a few spoons of marmalade, cream cheese, finely chopped bacon... amazing on bagels and a wonderful party dip for pretzels or on crustinis
:: I think I know my One Little Word for 2012
:: confession, I am avoiding email like the plague... sorry... if you wrote, I'll reply eventually, promise
:: and... I am also avoiding photographing rings and brooches for my website as well
:: sometimes I say to myself "I just don't wanna" and then I don't
:: looking forward to sharing some heart whispering with you in the new year
:: since it is the holidays, let's call it heart twinkling... what is your heart twinkling?

Come in my studio and I'll get you with my Tronex claws. Roar and grrr....

Difference In A Day

I really hate pity party blog posts. I won't read them on other's blogs and I try my darnest not to write them here. There is a definite difference though in a pity party post and a frustrated by the feelings post. I think my post yesterday was very much the second of those two.

There was a statement punched out in the latest issue of Artful Blogging that stuck with me. Angie Broen of decodreamscometrue.blogspot.com said "Since my blog posts are a reflection of my life, my words and thinking are honest, which makes writing a new post come fairly easily." I think it struck me and stuck with me because the past couple of weeks my posts weren't coming from a place of personal honesty, so I was struggling to know what to write. Yesterday, I just started writing from the heart and boom it was there.

What a difference a day can make...

Talking helps, it really does.

As does being in a comforting space of creativity and feeling at home. As does a couple of raspberry chai lattes in a sunny window of a starry cafe with a caring friend with a kind ear. As does getting a few loads of laundry folded in the blink of an eye while on the phone with someone that cares. As does a quite evening with a little voice reading her favorite poems while stitching special holiday somethings.

I feel worlds better today. I feel lighter and more peaceful.

Today is a bright and shining one.

Cookies & Contemplations

I feel like my "recovery" for that show is going to take longer than I thought.

I was telling Ron the other night... I put so much energy and focus into the things that I do and the directions I take. Just when I think I have found the path that I want to travel down, suddenly, I'm at a dead end. The path is gone, and I am lost. I feel like I have to start all over again. Forge a new path... but so much of my energy has been wasted, it is so hard to know where to begin. And just as hard is trying to make people understand. Understand why I'm just so bummed out. Why, despite good fortunes and happy times, I feel inadequate. I have spent much of the past few days with tears just below the surface. And I wasn't sure until this moment if I would even share that here. I am nothing if not honest, and try as I might, I can't be rosey all the time.

I am happy (and releaved) to have the distraction of the holidays and I know I just need to be kind to myself. I need to let go of certain expectations and welcome what the universe has in store for me next. I can't help but think that I can't just wait around for something to happen though. I need/want to put my energy into something to feel like *me*. I feel the need to trudge... to push through... to put one foot in front of the other... to keep moving.  

I'm going to go to the studio after a walk this morning. It will be my first time there since I packed my car with my booth and set off for Chicago. I am a little nervous about being in the space. It is hard to describe the energy that place holds for me. I know there will be a ghost of my hopeful spirit lingering in the twinkle lights and I'm not sure I can face it yet. Deadlines must be met though, and my love for my studio is strong enough to overpower the disappointment.  

One little step at a time. I know.

Tree Trimming

:: it feels like the season has finally begun... we found our tree and the traditions, old and new, are under way
:: old, the same little Christmas tree farm
:: new, this time Jacob cut it down instead of Dad
:: this time last year we already had more than 40inches of snow, this year we have hardly had an inch
:: Lauren, despite learning the "Santa Secret", has more spirit than any previous year
:: old, that same old star that was on our very first Christmas tree
:: new, not putting the tree up in that same ole spot in the living room
:: I went out for some shopping the other day and created my handmade list of goodies
:: I have a lot of handmade work to do in the next 13 days
:: it is easy to get caught up in thoughts, though, while sitting with handy work. I'm trying not to get lost in the sadness some thoughts bring





:: old, Momma and Lauren do most of the tree trimming and Daddy hangs the high stuff
:: new, this year Pappy hung the high ones
:: I think something is percolating, in my mind and in my heart
:: mornings making treats that flow into afternoon naps on the couch followed by evenings with the jukebox playing make for the best kinds of Sundays
:: old, stocking hang on the fireplace
:: new, it seems a different cut out cookie recipe is tried every year
:: I like holding my husband's hand while watching tv at night
:: how in the world was I up at 4 am so.many.mornings.in.a.row? I can hardly rouse myself at 6am these day
:: I know the fire needs another piece of wood because my feet are getting cold
:: wondering if my studio misses me... and if I go there, will I know what to do with myself.