faith and etsy banners

after a scary couple of days of

feeling hollow

and numb

magically

my faith returned

it feels so comforting

to have it back.

feeling back to myself again and able to focus

i set forth to conquer

some of the many

behind the scenes

not-so-fun

tasks

required to open an etsy shop

only we are opening

3

count them

three

2 of the 3 banners were made today

charter was being difficult all afternoon

and internet was spotty at best

so before i ended up

being commited to

the crazy artist asylum

i figured i had better take a break

that ever elusive opening day for our etsy shops is getting closer.

today's post was brought to you by the number

faith

a couple of years ago, out of options, i learned to have faith

not bible thumping judgemental faith

faith

faith that there is a divine and supreme being

faith that we are just where we are suppose to be

faith that it will all be ok

faith

i learned to let go and let God

i learned to have faith

it has been a wonderful journey

it will continue to be a wonderful journey

this weekend for the first time

when it seemed

so unfair

i became

angry

sad

frustrated

confused

and i misplaced

faith

i doubted

faith

for just a bit i lost

faith

today i feel

numb

still confused

but my faith

i have faith it will return

someday i will look back

we will look back

and we will understand

just why

it all is and was

i have faith

Did someone speed up time?

it is thursday....already.   i still have not uploaded photos from last weekend.

today i could not handle anymore cleaning, sorting, trashing, goodwilling of the stuff that fills my studio....

all things artsy were calling my name.

so i arted.

the results....3 new pieces to be offered for sale on etsy soon.

for the less is more kind of girl.......

for the more the merrier girl.....this one is going to be oh-so-hard to send to a new home......

and the bracelet that would compliment either adornment....still under construction.  the 'pearls' are wire wrapped, with the wire wrapping creating the chain.

again, i have let time slip by nearly unnoticed....i have only glanced at the clock because i have realized i am starving and have found it is already past 9.

off i go to rummage through fridge for a suitable bite to eat.

until next time.....mwah

learning my way around the light box and a happy accident

the light box

finally we assembled our much desired light box and i have spent several days trying to figure out just how much light to use, where to put the lights, playing with settings on my camera. 

i have moved the kitchen table to position the light box just so under the ceiling fixture in the kitchen.

with fingers crossed as i knock on wood the plan is to photograph all next week.

not sure if these photos will be used for the etsy shop, or if new ones will be taken. 

i have read countless tutorials online to make a light box.  everyone seems to have their own unique way to light and construct a light box.

i thought once i had a light box photography would be as easy as blinking.

bertie bert has felt the need to claim the box as his space.

he has been insistant on being a part of as many photos as he can

i have explained to him if he keeps this up i will list him for sale as well on etsy.

in response he offered up several additional new poses.

yesterday while steph was out cruising the net she came across a photo of a t-shirt in which the holes gave a lacey appearance

excited and curious steph and i grabbed some old t's and began cutting and puncturing the shirts.

after using several different devices and tools

i found the one's that tattered this t to my liking.

this is my test t.

while ripping this piece and that piece from the shirt

i hated to throw out the scraps that lay on the floor

the scraps called to me to find a use for them other than taking up space in a landfill.

as i sat down to watch a bit of mindless, yet tickle-my-funny-bone tv

i began to play with the pieces.

and here is what i ended up with

a happy accident

i say it looks almost like sea weed or coral

steph says icicles

we both agree it looks oh-so-neato

out of scraps an adornment was born

so here i sit

amazed again

at how out of nothing

out of scraps

trash

something unique is born

and all i can say

with the most sincerest gratitude

from the core of my soul

THANK YOU GOD

because i have to believe

that is where

all

inspiration

must

be

sent

from

sweet dreams

whatever the day brings, once the sun sets and i look back its all good, all beautiful

not much new to talk about, just dropping in to say hi and share a few pictures.

i am still sick, feeling like someone has sucked all of my energy out of me.

max is still itchy even though he is on day 6 of his steroids for the poison ivy, bill has it again too.

today i was planning on building our light box so steph and i can photograph our etsy wares, but i did not make it that far.  after some housework and making this

i am worn out.

passing through the living room i caught the beautiful sight of the flowers blooming in our front yard and thought how much i would love to share them with everyone.

if i could i would cut them and wrap them ever so gently in a wet paper towel and foil and send them on to you, but since that is not possible, i thought this would be the next best thing.

this little busy guy went from rose to rose and literally rolled around in the center of each one.  every time i would get him into focus he became camera shy and move to another flower. 

from my grandma's garden.  she was always so proud of her garden.  every time we came for a visit she gave us a tour.  these are actually purple, NOT blue.  only 2 photos out of about 30 i took of the beauty turned out purple!

this photo does not even show the true beautiful shade of purple.

big poofy mounds of decorative grass

i love, love, love these rose bushes!

to end this post, a bit a oh-so-cuteness

bert and his blankie as he had just managed to drag it from the livingroom to my bedroom late last night.

click here to see the story behind bert's blankie

hoping to be back before monday with pictures taken using our lightbox!

hope today brought you beauty, peace, and happiness.

comfort food, 2 rainbows in 2 weeks, blue jean patchwork purse, flowers...

The last week has been anything but 'normal'. 

tuesday, wednesday and thursday max was so sick.  friday he planned to go back to school even though he was not fully back to himself.  thursday night brought on an ear infection and the horrid pain that comes along with it.  with no sleep thursday  night and still feeling horrible max stayed home on friday.

friday night mia, the one on the left, played with a baby bunny.

 by the time steph got to her and demanded she drop the bunny,  the damage was done.

 steph scooped up the bunny and we washed her off to look at her injuries.

 a short bit later she died in my hands.

 max went out in our back yard and began digging a hole, steph gathered a shoe box from her room and we layed the bunny still wrapped in the small hand towel in the box.  steph and max then buried her.

max woke up the next morning with poison ivy.

sunday max made his second trip for the week to the local aid station.  when he woke up sunday afternoon we discovered the poison ivy quickly had advanced up his body to his face and was all around his eyes.

max stayed home from school again today.  too miserable being so itchy, and the insomnia that comes with high doses of steroid kept him up all night.

yesterday i began feeling the crud max had been battling with coming on.  i refused to get sick.  i decided to go outside and do yardwork.  if i am not thinking about being sick, i just won't get sick.  after 3 hours of yardwork my body ached, my throat hurt even worse....from pollen and who knows what else.....and the chills hit. 

i gathered all things necessary to conquer the chills

sweats
socks
3 blankets
heating pad
space heater
hubby to snuggle with

2 hours later no more chills, so i stripped off the

sweats
socks
3 blankets

turned off the heating pad and space heater

but still snuggled with the hubby.

today i feel crummy.  i have been sitting  like a lump in the chair and watching mindless tv.  my brain says go, go, go.....my body responds no, no, no.....

swallowing hurts beyond belief. i feel as though i am swallowing gravel.

for as much as i feel crummy, it felt worse watching max feel crummy.


 i caught myself thinking i can't wait for things to go back to 'normal'. 


  i tried so hard to be normal, normal initially rejected me.  by the time it accepted me i realized i did not want any part of it.  being unique  is where i belonged, and i learned not to be ashamed or embarrassed.

i have realized that by choosing to embrace being a  unique individual means to just let go and let each day be unique as well, and learn to embrace what comes with it.

unlike most of our neighbors, we do not have the standard 4 bushes lined up neatly across the front of the house and one tree.

we have chosen to embrace being unique. 

after all, i have discovered i do not want life to be back to normal

i want life to just be.  be ours.  be joyous.  be heathly.  be prosperous beyond our dreams.

to be students.  to be teachers.  to be of service to others.  to be creative.  to be inspired.  to be inspirational.  to be loving.  to be loved.

a good project to work on when sitting in a chair crumpled up and feeling yucky

when life gets bumpy make some comfort food.

some of my comfort foods

chocolate chip cookie dough

peanut butter cookie dough

mashed potatoes

pie crust

last week i made the best quiche i have ever made. 

and i have to say i make the bestest, most oh-so-flakiest pie crust.

with the left over pie crust i made these

in the midst of all of max's icky-ness we were lucky enough to see the second of these in two weeks.

this is the first of 4 blue jean patchwork splatter painted sling bags.  steph surprised me with this for my birthday.  steph will take ownership of the second one, the last two will be up for sale on our etsy shop.

a bit of dualing cameras

and to say goodnight, sleep tight.....

two sleepy kitties