Countdown to 2010

I've already mentioned my need for getting the house clean before the New Year; that need extends to house cleaning of the mind as well.  I'm a list maker, but especially this time of year, I have to get it all figured out, organize my house, my thoughts, my plans.  I don't really like to make "resolutions", but I do like to look back over the last year and towards the new one, contemplating what I've accomplished and what I want to accomplish in the upcoming year.

I have so many thoughts running through my head at any given time; it makes me feel disorganized and scattered.  I find it helpful to file those thoughts, sort them out, compartmentalize.  A tool I like to use is the life pie chart.  I got this idea from some book that I've read at some point in the last fifteen years.   I'm sure that information is in there somewhere, but I lost that particular file:)

Anyway, one of the main things I want to do in the upcoming year is to bring my life into balance, and this tool helps.  I've used it in the past, but failed to last year; I decided it's time to re-institute the pie chart.  Think about the different areas of your life that are most important to you, the parts that you need to feel whole.  Make a list of these categories.  Mine are: Relationships, Spirituality, Home, Creativity,  Health, Career.   Draw a circle and divide it into sections according to your list.  Then make some notes in each section about what that area means to you, what you would like to focus on.  To be whole in life, all of these areas need to be in balance.  They also will overlap with and depend on each other.  It's helpful to check in with yourself once a week or so and see if there is any area you are neglecting or one that is overshadowing the others.  In any given day the separate parts will not necessarily balance, but when you look at your life overall, they should.  If you have work deadlines looming, then that will take precedence.  Likewise, if you have a houseful of friends or family visiting, then relationships are going to dominate.

Because I can get obsessive about these things, my next step will be to take this small chart I have and make it really big, giving me lots of space to really pick apart the different areas and make a strategic plan for the upcoming year.  It may seem a little obsessive, but writing it out, and then seeing my thoughts in writing really helps me to figure out where I want to go. 

schmeckt gut!

I've been on this crazy German kick lately.  I crave German food all the time; I have this strange need to hear German being spoken, so I've been watching movies on Netflix; and I've been using German text in my collage art.   I don't know what is causing it; genetics maybe?   But why now?

A trip to Seigfried's satisfied the Wurst und Spätzle urge.  And, well, ok, the Kuchen.  And on my trip to Sam Weller's I found lots of good books, German and otherwise.

I found all of these great old craft books for 50 cents each.  I can't wait to curl up on the couch and browse through them.  I am hoping they will spark all kinds of new art ideas.

This was my favorite find at the bookstore, two volumes of books by the American writer, Orison Swett Marden.  He wrote about positive thinking and the law of attraction.  What attracted me to this book were the beautiful annotations made by some previous owner.  The books are highlighted throughout with colored pencil line, drawings, bits of text from other sources pasted in.

This must have been an important paragraph.  I wouldn't know; I can't read it.  I actually studied German for four years back in highschool, but that was a very long time ago, and I really wasn't a very good student at that time.  I could never figure out the verb conjugation.  Every now and again, a German word or phrase will pop in my head out of nowhere, like, "Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank?  Ja das is ein Schnitzelbank!" 

The author of the book was a follower of the New Thought movement, which dealt with some metaphysical principles.  So I am wondering if some of the drawings might have such significance as well.  There are many triangles, all-seeing eyes, and other such symbols.

Also, tucked into the pages, I found wonderful bits of ephemera, like these small pages from a 1933 calender, with the date on one side and quotes on the other.

Dressed in Pearls

Lalie this is for you!

I'm still cleaning.  While I was digging out my studio, I discovered this string of old costume jewelry pearls of my mother's, so I decided to wear them while I cleaned.  I need a pretty retro dress and some lovely pumps.  I would do it too.

While cleaning out all of 2009's dirt and leftovers, I've been contemplating the new year and what I want from it.  It's been very meditative.  I'll talk more about all that later.  Right now I'm heading out in the snow with DH, to go dig through the dungeon used book room at Sam Weller's.  It's a wonderful place, with fantastic old books.  I only go once or twice a year because I always get light headed and woozy down in that room.  Don't know if it's ghosts or dust!  I'll let you know what I find.

Blue Bottles

Did everyone who was celebrating have a merry holiday?  Did all your Christmas wishes come true?  Mine did.  My most favorite gift of all was a card from DH, inscribed with, "I love you; I want you; I need you."  That's all I needed.

Yesterday - well actually, about 11:30 Christmas night - I began my annual, end of year cleaning and purging.  I was trying to go to bed Friday night, when I was suddenly overcome with an urge to scrub the kitchen.  I finished that particular scrub yesterday.  In doing so I encountered the top shelf of my pantry with this pretty bottle collection and had to take a picture of it.

I used to keep my bottles on a window sill so the sun could shine through.  I no longer have a window sill large enough to hold them.  I am inspired by this photo over at Apartment Therapy.  I want to make something similar to hang in front of my mudroom window.  That would be a good new year's project, wouldn't it?

It's a Good Art Day

The stars must be aligned for art today.  I checked my email this morning and there was one from Ballet West telling me I had been chosen to participate in the Shoe-In 2010 project.  So I went over this afternoon and picked up the shoes.

While I was downtown, I stopped by Art Access to pick up my paintings, and discovered that this one had sold!  Hooray hooray!  This was actually my favorite one of the group.  I'm glad it's giving someone else joy now.  The validation of having sold a piece of artwork is giving me joy.  And so is the check.  I think I'll sleep with it tonight.

I finally finished!

I submitted my sketch today for the Ballet West Shoe-In 2010.  If I am chosen to participate, they will give me a pair of pointe shoes which I will then transform into a pair of hummingbirds hovering over a big red blossom.  And I really do want them to hover, not dangle.  Does anybody know any anti-gravity tricks?  They will be done in my typical mixed media fashion, bright colors, lots of paint and paper and some ribbons.  I envision the feathers and wings made of paper, and painted with some Lumiere paint.  The blossom I think I'll do with fabric and use Stiffy for strengthening.

Now it's off to bake some xmas cookies!  I'll share my rum ball recipe soon.  Oh yum!

And it's Friday!

This is what I've been doing for my version of holiday cards this year.  I've been making variations of these little birds for a couple years now.  Usually I give them to people as birthday trinkets.  I very well may have given them as holiday cards last year, too, but I am old and senile.  Most of the time I can't remember if I'm wearing underwear, much less what I did for xmas cards last year.  Or if I did.

I'm working on a garland of birds to put in my Etsy store.  They will be like this blue one, but a string of them.

I also started working on these ATC's a couple years ago.  I have more cards with funny women, but I need more witty ideas for phrases to put on them.  I will think of something pretty snappy, but by the time I get to the cards, I've forgotten.  That memory thing again.  I did write down a list of funny remarks, but then spilled something on it and now can't read what it says!

 I especially like this one.  This is how I greet DH when he comes home from work.


I'm supposed to be drawing a ballet shoe for Ballet West's call for entries.  I've been procrastinating as usual.  Breathe deep and just go do it!  I'll let you know how that goes.  The good thing about blogging is now that I've written it down here I feel more accountable.

For "Special"

I'm a hoarder.  Not the kind that has piles of crap stacked everywhere so you can't walk through the house.  No, I save things "for special".  I tuck things away, and by the time I remember I have them, like the pretty little jars of jelly that I thought would be so lovely on Sunday breakfast scones, they have far passed their experation date.  How long does jelly last anyway?

I also hoard presents.  Not with such poor results though.  When I get something new, I think I can't put it out unless my house is spotless.  And especially this time of year, when I'm looking forward to January and new beginnings, I will open all of my presents, ooh and ahh, then wrap them back up, and put them in the back of a closet somewhere.   They stay there until January, when I've stashed all the holiday decorations, dusted away the glitter.  I love the beginning of a new year, starting over, another chance to get it right.  These items I stash away, then pull out in January, become symbols of that fresh start.

I just wish I'd remembered to pull out the jelly.

Bibliophilia

I love books.  I love just the sensual experience of holding a beautiful book in my hands, the cool feel of the paper,  the smell, the heft.  And what I really love is if the words on the pages have the ability to take me away to another world.

This time of year, when I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by all the holiday rush, I start thinking about how wonderful it would be to curl up on the couch or in my bed, under blankets, with a magnificent book, something I can't put down and sit up all night reading.

I want to be prepared when I finally get some time to live this fantasy.  Can someone recommend a good read?  What's been on your reading list lately?

Balance

I've been thinking a lot lately about balance.  Struggling with it, I should say.  I'm wondering how other people create balance in their lives, especially those people who work from home - whether that is a home based business such as artists, or those whose chosen career is homemaking.  There are so many things that need done every day, and so many things we want to do; how do we manage it all?  I know I don't manage.

I tend to focus in on one thing at a time, whether that be making art, cooking, keeping the house clean, or trying to get all my holiday gifts made.  And I'm not talking about multi-tasking.  It's like I have tunnel vision; the one thing I'm focused on is all I can do; I have trouble dividing my time amongst the different concerns.  I have trouble even among the different aspects of my creative life.  I need to be actually creating art; I need to be listing items on my Etsy store; I need to be marketing that store, and I need to be blogging daily.  Any one of those things will consume me to the point where I can't seem to get to the others or can't even think about them.  Yet, those are all tasks that are inter-related and I need to balance them.

Am I even making sense?  I feel like I'm rambling.  So add in the need to make menu plans, clean the house, maybe put up some holiday decorations, and finish my gift giving list - how do you do it?  I read your blogs, you women out there who have jobs and make art and decorate your homes and have social lives to boot.  Tell me your secrets.

Frosty's Trip to the Post Office

I thought I would document how I braved a trip to the post office, just to show you that I can indeed keep a promise!  I can buck up, step up to the plate, come through for you, accept my responsibilities like a big girl, and I didn't even hyperventilate once.

I do need a drink now.....

Frosty did not want to get in the envelope.  Some excuse about lack of oxygen.

He ran out the door and tried to hide in the snow.  Nothing doing I told him.

The parking lot was as crowded as the streets.  Let me tell you, driving in Utah is a dangerous business, and this time of year....well, it is quite frightening out there, post office or not!

And we did indeed land at the post office.  I saw all of those cars in the parking lot and briefly - very briefly! - considered going back home.  But I didn't.  I went inside, carrying my tiny little bundle.  I was standing in that long line when a post office lady approached me and suggested I use an automated postage machine - a MACHINE, PEOPLE!  It had taken everything I had to get myself to and in the post office and now she wanted me to learn to use a machine!  I looked at her.  I looked at my package.  I looked at her.  I'm sure she thought I was an idiot, and well, she was right about that.  She said she'd show me how.  I said ok.  It wasn't too hard.  She showed me what buttons to push.

Am I not the most pitiful creature alive?  I wonder sometimes about myself.  I can wander the streets of Manhattan, navigate the subway system, but learning to use a machine at the post office (a very small post office really) was almost too much for me.

Terri, your snowman is on his way.  Should be there in 2-3 business days;)

Curious Curiosities

This little bird just flew over to my Etsy store.   When I pasted those words on him last night I had no idea that he was a fortune telling bird or that today would just get curiouser and curiouser as Alice says!

Oh Baby it's Cold Outside!

This is the view from my front door this morning.  I sort of knew this was coming, but was still surprised when it happened.  Denial, yes.  We really needed the snow though, to clean the air.  Here in Utah we get these horrible inversions that hold all the pollution down in the valley and then we get to breathe it.  Last week it hurt to breathe everytime I went outside.  The snow has kept DH home from work, which is a double edged sword.  I love you Honey!!!

Along with the snow I woke up to some very pleasant surprises.  Life is so curious and unpredictable.  The last couple of weeks I've felt so out of synch with the entire Universe.  My body, even, has been out of synch with my mind; I drop, spill, knock over, trip.  But the worst part has been in the area of communication.  I've felt like I'm speaking a different language from everyone else in my life, especially DH.  Yesterday I struggled so with feelings of being a misfit, and then this morning I get up, turn the computer on and right there in my inbox are uplifting messages from old friends I haven't talked to in forever, and even some new friends I haven't met yet in person.  A huge boost to my art ego came from a young woman who saw my work over at Art Access gallery; she wrote to tell me how much she liked what she saw.  Such a seemingly small act has really made a difference in how I feel about approaching my day.  It reminds me, too, to reach out to people and let them know what I think about them and the work they're doing.

There are some people out there in bloglandia whose work and words I find incredibly inspirational.  These are blogs I visit everyday for the beauty I find there:  wonderful art of all shapes and forms, incredible photography, inspiring words.  Margie at resurrection fern and Karen at sew and sow life are two places I go to find peace.  They both have this deep connection to nature and life that comes through in their artwork and the thoughts they share on their blogs.   Another blogger I enjoy reading is Linda at tortagialla.   I have learned so many things reading about her journey through the artist's life.  And all of these bloggers/artists inspire me to greater heights.  I am simply amazed at the work they put out and wish I could be so prolific!!

This is just incredible; as I'm sitting here typing away, I received yet another ping from another person I haven't spoken to in about 10 years.  I wonder what other wonder this day holds in store!

Holiday Gift Idea

I was making this cake yesterday when I thought of a fabulous idea for a holiday gift for someone who likes to cook.   The recipe is at smitten kitchen.  I'm not even a chocolate fan and I like this cake.  It's always a hit with all of my chocolate loving friends.  I have seen people fight over it when I made this version.

Start with a new bundt pan, and fill it with the ingredients minus the eggs, butter, and sour cream.  The recipe calls for mixing together the flour, sugar, etc.  You can measure that out and put it in a mason or other attractive jar.  Add some nice cocoa powder, a bottle of stout, good chocolate for the ganache.  Print or write the recipe out on a pretty card (crediting smitten kitchen of course), add in some decorative elements and there you have a very nice gift!

Snowman Winner!

Rose the six-toed-cat has chosen a winner!  She used her little (big) paw and clicked on the Random Number Generator (with some help).  And that number was.........

DRUM ROLL***************************!

 Number 10!  Terri!  So Terri, I need you to send me some information on how I can get Mr. Snowman to you.  Email me at bobbijlewin at gmail dot com and he'll be on his way.  You should do that soon, because we have a big snowstorm coming through and if you read my post about my postal phobia, you'll know you don't want to give me any extra excuses for not going to the post office!  just kidding;)

Thanks for all the great comments you guys left!  Several people have expressed interest in the cat, and she's decided that I just don't feed her enough, so she has chosen her own winner and is packing up.  I suspect she may be going to live with Rod, since he did promise tuna! tuna! tuna!  Of course, knowing her, she'll probably pick a warmer climate.

I'll be waiting to hear from you Terri:)  Thanks for playing everyone!

Yeah for Friday!

In between hot flashes today, I made this little snowy owl.  He'll be in my Etsy store in just a minute.

This is how my day has gone:  put the sweater on; take the sweater off; turn the fire place on; turn the fire place off; turn the furnace up; turn the furnace down.  Right now it's about 35 degrees outside, 65 degrees in the house, and I'm sitting here in a sleeveless summer shirt.  I have my sweater nearby.

I've been planning a date night with DH tonight.  Dinner at a new-to-us restaurant and tickets to a show after.   I think I'll even take advantage of this hot flash and shave my legs while I don't have goose bumps.  TMI???

Wow!

I am so surprised by all of the comments I've been getting on the snowman giveaway!  I expected a few, but by Sunday I may have to revise how I choose the winner!  Or else Rose is going to have to learn to count higher.  I appreciate all the great comments; there have been a few that crack me up.  And I just may be sending Rose to someone:) Nah, I'll keep her.

I just put this felted bowl for sale in my Etsy store.  I've decided I love felting!  It's just so cool how the wool changes when you add hot water and friction.  And it's fun sculpting as I crochet or knit the item.  By adding and subtracting stitches I was able to get this sort of sea urchin shape, and then the felting process made it more pronounced.

Off to get some dinner on before DH gets home!

Giveaway!

I'm participating in the Giveaway Day hosted by Sew, Mama, Sew.  If you'd like to win one of these fun little snowmen, just leave a comment here.  This is really going to test my Postal Phobia!  That's right!  I will take this little guy (or his brother) straight to the post office and mail him to the winner!  I will even ship internationally, which will be good practice filling out that little customs form I will need to attach to it.

The contest will stay open until December 6, when Rose the Six-toed-cat will be choosing the winner with one of those really big feet you see there.  

Oh, and that pretty rye bread up there?  It's going to make a tasty sandwich for lunch tomorrow.  I hope the snowman decides to share.

Retraction

I just realized that my post from yesterday certainly did not instill in anyone confidence in my ability to actually mail items purchased from my Etsy store.  Go go marketing genius!!!!  I promise.  I give my solemn Etsy oath - as stated in my shop policies, I will mail items within 1 -2 business days of the order.  I have no choice really; if I don't step up to the postal plate, I won't have a business.  So there you have it.

Wow.  I wonder what kind of brilliance I can manifest today.