good morning monday (april 30)...and finally, a preview of my prayer flags

reading

See the list of ten books of poetry I enjoy (along with the lists of a few other participants) in Dana’s column at Poetry Thursday (there are more...but these are ten books I would suggest anyone new to poetry pick up). Those ten books are what I will be reading for the next few weeks. I am going to try to read at least one poem a day in May.

Pride and Prejudice (I love it! But must admit that I am glad I have seen the movie(s) multiple times as I might be a bit lost in the language sometimes.)

watching

Planet Earth (If you haven’t already, please go to the website and check. it. out.)

The Illusionist (good, good movie)

listening

To David Whyte read poetry. (Yesterday evening I put a quilt down on the floor in the living room and layed down, headphones on, and listened to poetry from his CD. Soon Millie cuddled up next to me. Heaven.)

To the Dixie Chicks sing “I’m Not Ready to Make Nice” over and over again.

To Ben Taylor

eating

Right now…a Wendy’s frosty for breakfast. I am not proud of it…but it is warm in our house this morning and I am hot and it seemed like the way to go (we had one in the freezer).

Sushi. Just can’t seem to get enough of that salmon protein. Always crave it after emotional stuff happens.

drinking

Izze’s sparkling apple juice. This is my current favorite thing to drink and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

anticipating

Going to see Miss Potter (especially after reading Meg’s review). I think I might take myself on a date and see this movie this week.

dreaming

Last night I used Proactive for the first time (you know that anti-acne system you see on those infomercials? I bought it in one of those fancy vending machines in the Minneapolis airport last week). And then last night, I dreamed I used it on my face and my skin started peeling and suddenly I peeled off an entire layer of skin from my body. I literally stood in front of my mirror and shed a body’s worth of skin. What a metaphor. When I remembered the dream this morning, I looked up from my work and thought, “well crap, I do actually feel lighter today.”

A different kind of dream…one where I take a three-minute break from work and daydream about what I could create from Anna Maria Horner’s new line of fabric called Chocolate (see some of it here).

doing

Going to my teacher’s studio for yoga yesterday. (A deep breath and reminder of how important it is to take care of me. I plan to go again Wednesday.)

Exploring the Fremont Sunday Market. (When you visit, we will have to go there. If you live near me and I don’t know you yet, let’s meet there. And if I do know you, ahem…Kim, let’s meet there soon.) The sun was shining and I just had so much fun as Jon and I went from booth to booth. People make the most amazing things.

creating

Sets of prayer flags. Here is a little preview. (I really am gonna get that Etsy shop open soon.)

The first set is from the “begin” series. Each flag features a reminder to prompt you to keep doing what you do as you live in your life.

The second set of prayer flags is from the senses series. Each flag is in honor of a sense (including the sixth sense of “know”). A meditation written for this series (by me) is read across the set, with each flag having one line that pertains to that sense.

feeling thankful

To those of you who nominated me for a thinking blogger award. Each time, your words came when I most needed them. Thank you. Could I nominate five? I don’t know as there are so many I enjoy, but I will suggest that you visit the first five bloggers I started reading two years ago who invited me to think a bit differently, validated who I am, and changed my life forever:
Andrea
Christine
Jen
Keri
Leonie

a reminder...

a little piece i made recently for a friend...inspired by a conversation with kelly.

artfest prep is going strong here in the little room. still have to finish my pieces for the gallery and organize my supplies...and...and pack. eek! kelly is here checking her email and we are laughing and solving the problems of the world (already).

some close ups of "show up"

i can’t help myself

do you know that part in you’ve got mail where kathleen and frank (meg ryan and greg kinnear) are breaking up and she asks him if there is anyone else (if you haven’t seen it - this is a mutual break-up moment where they both just realized they need to move on) and then she asks him about the republican? and he says, “i can’t help myself.” i love that moment. they are laughing together. it is so good.

when i find myself having a moment where i just can’t stop myself from doing something, i often quote frank in my head.

on tuesday night, when i was completing the “buy 8x8 canvases” step in my steps to do as i gear up for artfest/get my online shop going, i, of course, found myself lost in the little fabric section of the art store that is near my house. and, of course, i found something.

first, i came across these fabrics and i tried to resist. i looked at them: saw the purses in my head. saw the prayer flags. saw the way the fabrics i have at home would match them. even saw this crazy apron/skirt thing i want to create to wear over jeans. but i kept walking. until i circled back. and loaded them into my cart.

then, while i was waiting to checkout, i was delighted and i mean big-smile-on-my-face-gasp-out-loud excited to see heather bailey’s freshcut line! so, i had to buy some of it as well. i mean, how could i not? it is gorgeous.

when have you exclaimed, “i can’t help myself” lately?

just can't get enough pink

thanks for all the kinds words about my "abloom" purse...

it seems that i am surrounding myself with all things pink lately. i just can't get enough pink in my life...

i continue to sew fabric and paper and other bits and bobbins together...even though i am also working on some kind of a sinus infection, i am still having fun with all the ideas flowing through my head that i then translate into something tangible. an idea becomes something i can touch.

kelly and i keep brainstorming about ArtFest and all the fun that is to come. she is also helping me think through creating my shop and some other things. during our conversations, i have had to admit that i think i create obstacles for myself to prevent myself from accomplishing what i really want to do. i don't see it as fear in the moment, but that is what it is. i am giving it a name. it is, indeed, fear. i am afraid to admit what i want and who i am and who i want to be...

i have written down steps, attainable steps, of what i will do in the next few weeks to get my website, etsy shop, and other things together. i took the first step last night (order moo cards to hand out at ArtFest). tonight i went to the art store and bought two 8x8 canvases to use in creating two pieces for the ArtFest gallery (the pieces are already sketched! just have to make them real now). the next steps include creating just the front page for my website, organizing and making my trades for ArtFest, and finishing up a few things for the shop that is to come.

(deep breath mingled with a sigh)

i am so excited.

having too much fun...

for weeks and weeks now i have been creating bits and pieces of things for a little etsy shop i hope to open in the next few weeks...
but this weekend, i went to a fabric store in seattle with dana, and i found a fabric that i adored (you know that feeling? when you see a fabric you just want to drape yourself in, sleep in, curl up in?), so i decided to make something just for me...i have been so excited thinking about artfest that i decided to make a bag for artfest. something bright and cheery to signify how excited i am and how much the experience last year and looking forward to this year means to me.

here it is:

a little closer in so you can see all the colors (oh i want to just bathe in these colors) and a glimpse of the "patch" i created:

and here is a close up of the little fabric patch i made for the front (it is quite a bit easier to read in person); i bet you can guess that it is my favorite part:

i had never embroidered anything really, let alone letters, until yesterday. i love how it turned out. oh and just in case you can't tell, it says, "i am abloom."

a little glimpse into the pockets inside. there is one for my cell phone, another for my ipod, one for wallet and little bag of stuff i carry in whatever purse i am using, and another pocket divided in two so that one side can hold my favorite moleskine side that i carry with me everywhere and the other side is for whatever the else i want i guess:

yep, i am having way too much fun in my little room...