Tied For First

Yesterday I said the Sweeney Todd tickets from my sister was my favorite birthday gift, but I was wrong. There is a second favorite gift that is tied with that theater experience as the best gift.



I know it looks like a rather simple, non-descript, folded up piece of pretty fabric... but it holds something special inside!!



My dear friend Lindsey made this for me. We have a special tradition of handmade gifts for our birthdays. Her birthday (Aug 13) is my half birthday (Feb 13) and thus, vice versa. The past couple of birthdays she has gifted me beautiful hand knit socks. I have worn them so much that I have worn holes in the soles of them. I love love love my special socks!! This year, I asked for something different... a knitting needle case... and boy did she deliver!



The outside fabric is from a recent fabric trip we took together. And the inside fabrics are scraps from a quilt I made. I gave her the scraps knowing what the "main" fabric would be. I had no idea how the design would turn out or just how special she would make it. Look close!! Can you see "KAB" in the stitching? Ah... I love it!!

I tried to convince Lindsey that she should make these for her Etsy shop. Anyone think they might want one?

PS... hey L... I am terrible about writing thank you notes... lemme just say... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

I Got Goose Bumps

You know what? Last week, I never told you about my extra special birthday present!! I try not to play favorites with gifts. I really love them all. But this year, my sister Bonnie, totally blew everyone out of the water!! She got us two tickets to see "Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" on stage at Geva, here in Rochester.

I am sure you all have heard of it. It was the gore fest musical of 2007 with Johnny Depp. From what Bonnie has told me, it was a play long before it became a movie. And it was what they called a "penny dreadful" in the 1800's. (a story you could buy for a penny) The show was last night!!





Our seats were fantastic, seventh row center. The theater is very small and intimate. I don't think the place holds more then a couple 100 people. The opening song gave me goose bumps. And the second song did too. The production played out just like the movie with a few extra songs and many of the songs longer then the movie too. The costumes... fantastic... the sets... super cool... the special effects (throat cutting)... looked very real. I just loved the whole thing. Well, not the whole thing. The actor plying Anthony had a funky way of singing the word "you" that was totally distracting me. It was freaking me out.



Okay... so that was my Sunday night. These photos today are from my Friday afternoon. I finally, finally, got to do some work. This is "Token Of Chance", a new mixed media piece by yours truly. I have another one to share one day this week too. I would love to hear your thoughts!! I tried some new things, adding text and resin. The size is 5x7 and I worked on a traditional mounted canvas. I love the dark rich blues and purples in this.



Here is to getting back to normal this week!

Photo Week Last Day ~ Sleepy Kids

Ya know, I had the best intentions with this photo week thing. Alas, it just didn't work out the way I had hoped. Better luck next time. We'll do it again in the summer maybe when there are flowers and vegetables, and raspberry picking, and zoo trips, and no sick kids. When there is something more exciting then sleeping out in the living room going on. (even though that is pretty exciting to the kids... they love it for some reason!)

I think I am done with the no talking thing too. That was hard, but a good lesson I think. I got stuff to say, though I am not feeling very articulate. I'll get my thoughts organized and when we are back to regular blogging next week... I'll be on the right track.

Grrr... I am feeling so anxious and pent up. Definite case of cabin fever. I need to get some work done... it is really building up. And if I don't find a way to focus this energy, I am going to end up painting the dinning room again. HA! I have lots of new jewelry ideas stirring up in my head and I want a chance to work on them before they slip away. I have some tutorials for magazines due. Oh, and some canvases are prepped for some new pieces. Not to mention a handful of custom order too.

Alrighty... it is going to be a "Back To The Future" marathon day. Lauren is right and rain, but it is Andrew's turn now to worship the porcelain gods, lol. I am sure Jacob will be next. I'll be here... wishing I was doing anything else.

Whatever The Case May Be...

I was an irresponsibile reader last night and stayed up until 4am to finish that last book in the Twilight Series. Yeah, stupid. But... couldn't . put . it . down . Yes, your math is right, I got threw all four books (more then 2300 pages) in just about a week and a half. couldn't . put . it . down . The after 4am bedtime, and the restless sleep that followed has left me wishing I could cuddle back up under the covers. Oh well... maybe later.

In the meantime... I have a new post of on Watch Me Create. There is a certain, basic, lampworking skill that is suddenly eluding me. Go find out what it is.

Quick Update

Just popping in to let y'all know I did some cleaning of the ol' website. I marked down the few necklaces that I have available. Check them out HERE.

I was rather taken back by just how many pieces are marked *SOLD* and how few are available. That is good for me, but boring for you. I'll be working on getting new pieces created and freshing up the selection on my website!! (and not only jewelry, I have new Mixed Media Pieces in the works too.)

Photo Week Day 2 ~ Yellow Hunting

Yellow was kinda hard to find around here. I think I need to be on the outlook for more yellow while thrifting.

Photo Week Day 1 ~ Sick Day

We kept warm yesterday, knit, read and cuddled while Lauren ran a fever and was throwing up. Ugh. Not a good start to the week.

Winter Break

It is the first day of the kids' winter break from school. Something started in the 70s to save on heating costs has stuck around ever since. I think it is ridiculous since we just had Christmas break, but I have heard from teachers that kids are going stir crazy and the break does everyone some good. Everyone but me that is, lol. I need to figure out how to keep three kids (1 a bored preteen, 1 a wild often manic child, and 1 that is a spoiled little princess) entertained. HA! Wish me luck.

I imagine my week is going to be rather boring here in blog land, so I had an idea to spice things up. We are going to have a week of pictures. No words... just a few photos from each day. Should be interesting. A few blogs I read are having a "yellow" themed week too, so may be I can find some yellow in my life to show off.

So that is it word wise for my until next Monday. Hmmm... wonder if I am going to be able to keep without talking that long!!

Russel Sprouts

He is gettng bigger, isn't he? Rusty is 5months old now, and Lauren calls him "Russel Sprouts". We are all doing a bit of sunbathing here. Hope you can do the same where you are.

31 and a Tutu

Cute kid huh? Check out the sneakers and those overalls my sister has on. Had we not worn them to bits, I bet they would fetch a wicked price as "vintage goods" on eBay or Etsy. LOL. I wish I still had them... I would wear them. Hmmm, maybe I should look for grown up size sneakers like those :)

I seem to remember being in about 2nd grade for most of these photos. I know that yard for sure, but dont' remember seeing the giraffe. It is funny what we remember and what we don't. I seem to have memories of memories, not actual memories. If that makes any sense. I had to post the retro pics today because it's my birthday. I thought about posting another "random things post" like last year, but I don't think I could come up with another 30, lol.

So that is about it. LOL. Plans for today include a visit with friends and dinner with Ron tonight. Oh and I might hit the town with my sister tonight. We'll see about that though. It wasn't exactly a good experience last year, and I am skeptical that this year would be any different. And for those that worried yesterday that my mood was related to my looming birthday. Not at all! I love growing older. I am looking forward to each year to come. I like my age and I'm proud to tell how old I am.

And just in case you thought I was kidding yesterday... twirling in my tutu.

Where Is Some Adventure

I am in a crappy mood. It s a stinky rotten smelly awful mood. I am talkin' it's a don't-bother-talking-to-me-because-I-will-probably-bit-your-head-off-or-give-you-the-silent-treatment kind of mood. I hate this mood. After yesterday's good day, I don't see why I am being so grumpy. Makes me think I am just as bi-polar as my son. Then I remind myself that it probably just the time of the month that I always get moody. Stupid girly issues.

So, I am trying desparately to figure out a way to improve my mood. Before the phone rings and I get snappy or crabby with a girlfriend calling to check in. Before I bark at Ron about his whinning that he does't know what I want for my birthday. (No, he isn't really whinning, I am in a bad mood and just saying he is. He is actually trying really hard to figure something out.) Before the kids get home from school and I make them sit in the rooms for doing nothing, lol (I don't actually make them do that, but I have thought about it). Before I put my kitten Rusty out into a snowbank for pouncing on my laptop and posting my blog before it is finished, Grrr. Before I wake up tomorrow morning because tomorrow is my birthday and I don't want to spend it miserably.

It is hard to combat this type of mood. I am already in a miserable state, so how to improve it. See, it fights every attempt at over coming it. I say to my moody self... "you are going to paint something today..." and my mood says back "you can't paint, you have to make beads for the special project"... "but I don't wanna make beads today... my beads are stupid, they are crappy, no one will want to use them in any projects"... "you don't have a choice, you have a deadline and those beads need to be in tomorrow's mail"... "fine, whatever, I will make beads... but I won't like it". I sit a moment and read the blogs that keep me so inspired. I start to get a twinkle in my eye. I think "I don't have enough whimsy in my life... I need some fun... some adventure...", then the mood says back "oh yeah? how you gonna do that? it is pouring outside". I think "I really want some play clothes, yeah... dress up clothes Momma size... maybe I could make myself a tutu like I made for Lauren at Christmas... then we could have a tea party after school together." Mood balks back "HA, do you know how many yards of toole it would take to make you a tutu?" I say shut up to my mood and go back to sulking... I straighten up the living room... I do the dishes... and I settle into staying my pajamas all day.

You know, I probably shouldn't vocalize my mental arguments with myself. LOL... it isn't helping anything.

Well no, wait a minute... there was a LOL in that sentence... that means I laughed... I giggled to myself. All hope to improving my mood today is not lost. Okay new plan... I am headed to the studio now. I am going to set a timer and make beads for just a bit... just long enough to make what I need to fill my resposibilities. Then... I am going to throw Lauren in the car and we are going to the fabric store and buying some toole. I will make myself a fufu tutu and when it is done, I will paint in the studio while twirlinig in my tutu. Silly sounding I know... but I need a silly day today, I think.

It Is A Start

Those of that have been with me and my blog for a while know that I have spent the past few years fighting to get my son, Andrew, help in school. It is one of the main reasons we moved to the area we did. Our new district has a reputation of support far beyond that of the previous district we were in.

I promised to keep you up to date on the goings on with our fight. At least I thought I promised. I could have sworn that I blogged about last year's infuriating IEP meeting, but searched through the archives for a link and can't seem to find the post. Let's just say, it sucked. They wouldn't qualify him for services because 1) we didn't show how bi-polar was affecting his education, 2) he scored "in the average" range during his psycho-educational evaluation, and 3) what were asking for were "accommodations" not "services". With in the first few weeks of school here in the new district, red flags flew up everywhere for the new teachers. He took a grade level reading test with 25 questions and after 45mins had only completed 7 of them, all were wrong. In fact, 21 of the 25 questions were wrong. He then scored below the 30th percentile in math (his best subject).

The new teachers swooped in and have given him every support under the sun, without the special paper that said they had to. Though, it still hasn't been enough. We had a parent-teacher conference and starting to talk about putting a 504 in place for Andrew. 504 plans directly relate to testing modifications so that a child with a disability can better perform on those tests. I had to write a formal letter asking for the review meeting to take place. I had to get letters from all the outside people supporting Andrew with medication and therapy. His teachers wrote up plans for the modifications that would best help him.

This morning was the meeting to determine if he qualified. I was so nervous going in. The IEP meeting last year had been so tense and unproductive and disappointing. I did not want to go in unprepared, but had no idea how to prepare or what they would want either. I talked last week with his psychiatrist for her input and I did research online at www.bpkids.org too.

I am thrilled with the result of the meeting! Andrew officially has a 504 plan in place. He will now get alternative test locations (even if he just needs to sit in the back of the room during a spelling test), he can have on task focusing prompts that are verbal or non verbal, he gets to have extended time on test, frequent breaks too, and he gets to have instructions read to him clarification and understanding. I spoke with the school psychologist after the meeting and asked about a few "extras" too. Andrew is going to get to take part in a social skills group at school! They are going to try to let him go to a resource type room for the last 20mins of school so he can start his homework (something we dread nightly), and he has a standing pass to leave situations that overwhelm him in the classroom.

It is such a huge relief to finally be getting the help we need for Andrew. I had to share that relief with all of you! The things going on behind the scenes here with Andrew are such a huge factor on our family and my life in so many ways. I have been feeling so lost for help and I was feeling sure that it was showing here. I feel like I haven't been as productive as I should be, or as positive as I usually am. I feel like I have been treading water for months and several times dipping below the water unable to keep kicking hard enough to stay afloat. One meeting isn't going to change everything. But it is a little light of hope. Another reason to kick a little harder and start to swim in a direction rather then staying in one spot.

Thank you so much for being such a support. I appreciate having this little corner to talk so much more than I can tell you.

1:00am

I got totally sucked in.

When I wrote yesterday morning's blog post, I was sure I was going to have a lazy day of watching movies while Lauren rested. I was wrong. She ended up feeling right as rain. She begged and pleaded to get to go to school. So, I let her. The whole thing threw me for a total loop. What would I do with my couple of afternoon hours. Would I paint... would I bead... would I read?

I decided reading was out, I couldn't justify being lazy reading minus the sick one, and my desk was too messy to paint (lol maybe I should have tidied up). So I settled into making beads. I have a project I am working on that I am not sure if I can share. But I will tell you this, I need to make four sets of the same beads and have them in the mail very very soon. Anywho, I did what I usually do, I grabbed some fresh rods of my favorite colors and cranked the music really loud. Have I ever told you I am pretty hard of hearing? I started getting ear infections at a few weeks old and really haven't stopped yet. So certain tones, especially low tones, I can't make out. And background noises are extra loud to me. Enveloping myself is sound drowns out the constant ringing I have too and lets me concentrate better. I like music loud so I don't have to try to hard to hear it.

I passed those couple hours really quickly. Got some good work done and before I knew it the kids were home again. Now what? What should I do to pass the time now? Kids were playing (aka bickering and mindlessly fighting with each other to the point of screeching and shrieking). So, I picked up the book I have been working on. Twilight. You that have read it know it is 497 pages, I had gotten to the 150s with out even trying last week, LOL. I got totally sucked in last night and 350 pages later it was 1:00am. I haven't pulled an all nighter reading in AGES. I love to read. Love love love the escape. I love learning new words too. I like finding sentence structures that don't make sense that the editors missed. (though I am very bad a self editing) I like to think I am a fairly fast reader too. I finished the nine billion page Harry Potter in one night, lol.

Now this story.... hmmm.... Edward and Bella. First off, I can't stand the names in this book. Hate, hate, hate. But what kept me reading it? As I lied in bed last night trying to fall asleep after all that reading (it is really hard to turn thoughts off after they have been so active) I was tying to decide just that. I certainly don't have a secret desire to have a vampire fall head over heals in love with me now,lol. I won't be tatooing the word "Twilight" on my body or running up to TV cameras screaming "OMG... I love Edward, I want him to marry me" (did anyone else see all that buzz on the Today Show?) But, I wish that kind of love that was whipped up by the story teller was really out there. Maybe it is. The magical, swept of your feet kind, that has you constantly telling each other how much you love the other during every conversation kind. Is that my age now? I'm I forgetting how to be magically or is it that I am being more realistic. Ah well, I decided it was a good read anyway. Even if it is showing me that I am becoming a skeptic.

You know, I didn't plan this blog post... it is just sort of writing itself. And I don't like that last bit. I don't want to be a skeptic, I don't want to think there are things not possible. I am thinking now that I need to make another Token Journal. This one for Tokens of Magic.

Okay... now for something fun. Let' have a little book club discussion in the comments! Please, feel free to leave a review, or start a conversation... ya know, book club style. I will be around most of the day so I can moderate comments regularly. I will start us off. Wait, I guess I already did... do you think the kind of love portrayed in Twilight is possible? is it possible at such a young age? or maybe only possible when so young?

Plugging Away At Winter

It is almost my birthday. And my Dad says that my birthday is the half way mark of winter. He says if you can make it to my birthday, it means that winter will be over soon. We are being teased with dang near balmy weather right now. It was 50 on Friday, 50 on Sunday, and it is supposed to be 50 on Wednesday this week too. We have had some sun too... which is a very rare thing in winter around here. It makes me think of what flowers I want to plant in the garden or when I can go shopping for new capris or having a bonfire in the backyard rather then in the wood burner.

Alas, it is just a tease. I know that more snow is on the way, or ice, ugh. That is okay though. I like winter. And as I do every year, I picked out a few special things for myself for my birthday. The first thing is a new little pendant. You can see the front of it in the top photo and the back of it in the bottom photo. These are from http://www.superherodesigns.com/. I will probably never take it off, LOL. I need a reminder that I am a superhero. I got super powers (anyone who knows where every object in the house is located and can make BANG Gals! has to have secret super powers).

I have a sick little one home today. Lauren had a late afternoon nap yesterday and woke up with a fever. Add the nagging sore throat and recent visit to the germ infested public museum and my super hero senses tell me it is probably strep throat, again. Which means no school... which means no torch time... which means I will have to chill out in front of the wood burner and see if I can't finish that book I tried to start last week. Hmmm... I wonder what else this mid winter week has in store?

A Rare Thing

A day to myself is a very very rare thing. A day without expectations, appointments, must dos, or kids. No rushing around, no needing to be somewhere at sometime... just time... the whole day!

A couple of weeks ago, I did a favor for a friend of Lauren's. Sammie's Mom is a substitute teacher and needed to go into school. I let Sammie come here a few days and her Mom wanted to return the favor with an outing for the girls. She decided to take the kids to the National Museum of Play here in Rochester. That meant I had from 9:30 - 3:45 without a care in the world.

How did I choose to spend my free day? I WORKED!!! YOO HOOOO!!! I sat at my torch with music cranked up way too loud (THIS CD every song is fantastic). I made beads for orders... for hours. Then, I made myself a sandwich. Took a long shower and took a trip to the post office. I even had enough time to read a book too!! SHOCK HORROR!! Can you believe it?

I can't remember the last time I just sat and read. I love to read. I missed reading. You know what I decided to read? Twilight. Yes, I may be the last person in the US to have read it. HA. I got threw the first 100 pages yesterday. And if I get any more free time today, I will be reading it then too. So far, it has been great.

Ahhh... but my dream day couldn't last forever. And really it was such a tease. I would like to say it left me hugely refreshed (and it did), but already the next day is here and it is back to the crazy things in life. LOL... you know what it makes me want to do... get out my calendar and count the days until the first day of school next fall. If I have patience, I will get there and in September all three kids will be in school all day!!

Why Didn't You Remind Me?

You all followed me all the way through my big kitchen remodel in Nov/Dec 08 and you let me get all distracted. You let me forget to update you on how it finished up!! Wednesday turned into a difficult day emotionally. I won't go into details, other then to say, things still aren't right with Andrew. On my way home from one of the countless doctors appointments I have been attending, I stopped to pick up the makings for lasagna. My attempt at salvaging the evening. (maybe if I make his favorite meal, we won't have another melt down that night) As I strolled through the store, I passed the flower area. I paused and sigh. Then picked out a lovely punch of tulips for myself.


Later when I was home working on my lasagna and smiling at my flowers, I thought... "hey, I never showed my blog the kitchen". The lighting is horrible in these photos. There isn't much I can do about that. The rom is on the northside of the house will very little natural light. You can see we tiled the backsplash, and made a "display" cabinet for all my lovely Pyrex. I love seeing all those colorfully stacked things lookin' all colorful and lovely in there.


I have my favorite vintage enamel top table sitting on the wall opposite the stove. And above it hangs a mirror that I hope will catch a reflect a little of the light in the other rooms. Oh, I found really cool chairs on the side of the road that are going to look really cool with my table. I just need to find the time to wire wheel the metal and pick out the perfect fabric for the seats. Hmm... I miss free time. Where has it gone this winter? The time where I get to be me... blissfully creating to my heart's content.


I haven't lost hope yet. I know I will find my time again. I know there will be days where there aren't any meltdowns. I know there will be flowers in the garden in the Spring. Doing little things like buying myself some tulips make the days until then a little better.

Size Matters, or does it?

I have a post today over at Watch Me Create! Check it out!!! There are going to be lots of changes happening over at WMC. More frequent posts, new artists, new layout and format. It should be exciting to see how it shapes up. I hope you pop over there and check things out.

The State Of The Studio

The President gives a State of The Union speech, and the Governor gives a State of The State speech. I thought it would be fun (from time to time on days I don't know what to talk about) to give you a State of The Studio.



Currently on my Jewelry Desk: The start of the hollow and spiral necklace. A bowl of beads awaiting their projects (projects that are yet to me thunk up). Spools upon spools of wire, but no 14g. D'oh. Look it me in my ink, purple, periwinkle and turquoise fetish. I wonder when I am going to get bored of it? I am also working on 4 custom orders right now too!!




Currently on my Glass Desk: Lots of used up rods of transparent ink. Lots of turquoise and a little bit of pink. I am also starting add dashes of lime green too. And I used up all the grey too. I have been loving these colors the past few weeks. But I am starting to feel a change. I am wishing for something hotter and fiery. Hmmm... orange, fuchsia, red... maybe some dark purple too. Who knows!? I am making it my personal mission to have a BIG HONKER bead update before the end of the month. So start saving your pennies. There is goodies coming. I am calling it "The Size Matters" update, HA!




Currently Around The House: A Snow-WO-man that Lauren and I worked on over the weekend is visible from the living room. As we made it, we said it was definitely a girl because we are two girls (Lauren's words, lol). So like the Talis-Wo-man necklace, this is a Snow-Wo-man. It was close to 40 the day we made this, now it is going to be 13 tomorrow. Tis' the weather in Rochester. Not much we can do about it, but have snowball fights and drink hot cocoa.



Currently On Knitting Needles: A tank top for summer... or for layering over a cute top. I think I was channeling THIS bracelet as I picked the colors. The pattern for the tank top is HERE. I am close to half way done, believe it or not. I am quite proud of my knitting skills, to think, a year or so ago, I didn't even know how to knit!

So that is it. That is the current state of things in the studio.

No Time To Say Hello, Goodbye

HA! This Alice In Wonderland theme is really coming at the perfect time. I get to use one of my favorite cartoon quotes and say "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"

Today is a nutty run around scrambling kinda day. There is a doctor appointment, dentist appointment, and vet appointment. All strategically planned so that I can make it to each one with time to spare. Ah, but it leaves me will litle time for clever blog writing. So... I leave you with photos of the newest jewelry to make it out of my studio over the weekend.

The top piece is called "Late For A Date" and the bottom is "Lunch Basket Bangle".

Hmmm...

I have had this design tumbling around in a head for a few weeks now. Yesterday I finally brought it to life. It has me thinking "hmmmm... I don't know about you." I can't decide if I love it or hate it. Sorry, hate is a strong word. I should say I just don't really care for it.

When I wore it for this photo, I was thinking it reminded me of a breast plate kind of necklace that I imagine Cleopatra might have worn. Certainly, she wouldn't have worn this one, lol, but you get what I mean. It takes up space on your neckline. It is full without being heavy. It is colorful. The bead spins! It is all of my favorite things!! Yet still... I don't know about this one.

And as happens with things I am not madly in love with, I can't think of a name for this "New Necklace". I want a name that fits with Alice in Wonderland. This bead is from that "series", all checker boarded and magical. There is another checker boarded bead on a design that I posted a photo of in my Flickr gallery. (Just a little FYI, I will be posting all my photos on Flickr to then post them here with some extra "views" too, so pop over there from time to time to see what is up.) If a name comes to mind, please share it. Oh, and you should know, this pretty bead is smaller then a ping pong ball, but much larger then a grape. I am lovin' chunky at the moment!!