Let There Be Beautiful Light

This week in the studio, I was working away at one project and in typical ADD/ADHD fashion, another idea sideswiped me to set what I was doing aside and do this...

I did this with 3 feet by 12 inches of organza, about 5 feet of brassy beads, and a sheet of floral paper.  The chandelier chain was about 2 feet long.

1. Tuck the fabric in at the top of the chandelier, perhaps anchoring it with thread or a tiny wire.
2. Spiral it around evenly and tuck the bottom edge in.
3. Wrap the beads from the center, going around snugly twice a the top and then crisscrossing them to the bottom where I used a thin piece of wire to clasp together.
4. I cut the paper into strips and made tubes that fit around the plastic tubes under the lights

Time:  maybe 30 minutes

Soulful Fill-ment

...Or soul fulfillment. ...Which ever way you want to look at it, it's not usually something that any one of us really wants to delve into.  Why?  ...Because after all, it is one of the scariest things we can do.  No one wants to fail, and Heaven forbid that we fail at that which is meant to really make us feel nurtured and whole.  If we have but one chance to achieve personal success and we miss it, what then?  Do we fall into a Black Hole of the Universe and disappear into a Void of Nothingness because that's where all failed humans go?   Is it a sort of Hell where everyone floats about in suspended animation with a dull stupid look on their face as if they were about to say something but forgot what it was?

O-o-o-o-o-h-h-h-h!

I shudder to think of it!  But if you do think of it, doesn't it feel as if that is where we are and what we do if we DON'T pursue our dreams and fulfill our souls?

Cursed!

How appropriate that my good friend Emma sent that card that arrived Thursday afternoon!  It is a special warm fuzzy message that asked if I was having a bumpy week? ...and a reminder that she's always there for me.  This week has been "one of those."  It was going well Monday and Tuesday, But Tuesday morning we did the commissary shopping for the next few weeks.  I loaded the frig with meats and veggies, fruit, etc.  Well, I was off to a great start on Weds morning, finally getting back to being creative after a few months of abstinence, and forgot to have my cell near and my Sweetie was locked out because I had the screen door locked and didn't hear the phone.  So, he had gone back to work and stayed there for his munch break.  I found this out after I had put leg-quarters on the grill for our dinner.  My mistakes meant he was at the kung fu school from 7 AM to 7 PM.  I really thought I would be in the doghouse and hear no end of it later, but he was very forgiving.  Anyway, as I was on the phone with him finding all this out, the chicken caught fire and was nearly destroyed.  Later that afternoon, I broke my coffee pot as I put it into the dishwasher, and had to clean glass out of the dishwasher.  Then my Ott lamp broke (trying to get some light so I could see if I could repair the toilet that was not flushing as it should.)  By that evening (WEDS still) it seemed that the food was not as frozen as it should be.  I was not overly alarmed as it often takes a day when I really load the freezer.  On Thursday morning, I realized that the frig was stuck in defrost, and our food was in danger of spoiling, so I spent several hours trying to clean the grills and use a fan to cool the coils and to jump it out of defrost.  I was having some luck, but it wasn't holding, so I had to use a cooler with ice to help out.

Thursday afternoon, the "yard guy" came to clean up and mow, and when he was
using the weed-whacker, it threw a rock into the front glass door and shattered it.  At that point, I retrieved the mail, and on my way into the house through our side door, the screen door didn't want to close for some reason ...seemingly out of alignment..  At that moment, I opened the mail and read Emma's card.  What a moment it was!  I had to laugh and take a big inhale/exhale.  Friday, the battle with the frig continued, and I had to cancel clients to make an emergency run to a friends freezer with boxes of food.  As a last resort, I had to unplug it and let the thaw begin. ???????  So, ya think my week has been "bumpy?"






I would like to add that this morning the frig is back to normal.  Thank you God for small wonders!  I avoided an expensive repair bill, saved my food, and felt the love of a good friend who wanted me to know she had my back.


So, next week just has to be a whole lot better, and everything is better when I can be creative.  This time, the creation is a study on red.  It will go with a garment that is being created from a very old quilt top I started decades ago.  However, that is another blog, and I will take you all through that process soon.

Shabby Chic or Turning Vintage

Recently, one of my virtual friends described achieving a certain age as "turning vintage."  I love that phrase "turning vintage."  It has such wonderful connotations of getting better with age just as fine wine does.  Along with the aging process, those bottles may gather dust and labels may fade or scratch.  There is a bit of the shabby chic in that description too.  Isn't that a great way for us to describe things that fall out of place and get comfortably rearranged?  Just out of curiosity, I Googled "shabby chic" and found a decorating site with guidelines for styling Shabby.

1. The first rule is to "go white."  Well, my hair is doing that quite well, and even skin tone begins to pale.  What can I say?  ...I stopped sun worshiping years ago, and I really detest hot steamy southern summers.  I'll choose the air-conditioner any day.
2. Second is the extravagant use of slip covers to hide wear and tear.  So, as with furniture, so I have started to drape myself with various garments designed to hide muffin top bulges and body parts that have been drooping, as well as all that other stuff like veins and scars that seem to have accumulated out of no-where to paint my body canvas.
3. The third criteria is tea-stained fabrics.  Ha!  Tea, coffee, spaghetti, grease spots, everything I eat seems to leave a mark down my front as though I am keeping a food journal.  Ummm, what did I eat earlier?  I don't even have to try to remember, I just look down at my belly and there it is!
4. Next up is "over-stuffed" upholstery.  Hahahaha! " ...Comfortable, slip-covered, rumpled, ruffled, and rounded, ...Muffin top?  ..."  'Nuf said!
5. Then they talk about distressed paint.  Anyone "vintage" that wears glasses and tries to apply make-up knows how hard it is to apply just the right amounts so as to look natural.  Oh the sad stories I can tell about the rouge-cheeked old ladies that looked like Boopy-Do dolls to me.
6. What about "Architectural Details?"  Well, go old.  Yeah, what worked when we had lovely chests and firm fannies,slim bodies, and various parts we were taught to showcase, paired with growing incomes to supply all sorts of cute little outfits, has all changed.  The closet has been slowly clearing out of those cute little tops that show it all off, and the tight little jeans have been replaced with baggy.  Incomes slowed down and and so did we.  Contentment set in with our well-loved old shoes and comfy clothing.  Now we are becoming authentic!
7. Old and imperfect.  Jeweled accessories are turning with patina, and styles have changed-over many times.  If a chain breaks then we hang a locket from a ribbon.  Rhinestones fall away, yet the beloved adornment still holds a memory and feelings for you.  We don't see them as other do, and nor should we.  We hold on to these and love them still.
8. Gravitate to comfort.  Let things get rumpled and unsorted.  Don't worry about complete order and shine and perfectness.  It's not quite possible now anyway.  I love my former mother-in-law once telling me:  "It's something of a blessing that our eyes start to go as we get older.  ...We can't see all the dirt then."  I can't tell you the shock I go through every so often when I put on some strong readers and visit the bathroom and see dust everywhere, or the spatters in the kitchen.  It really does take Herculean efforts to keep a house perfect and tidy.  There is nothing wrong with a lived-in look around here!
9. The site's author mentioned that metal makes it all look better.  So, draping myself with original metal-work has been my mission lately.  I love my crude wild jewelry.
10.  Patchwork!  I have always had a reverence and love for patchworking.  Those crazy quilts of Victorian times amaze me with their charm.  Now I am becoming a walking patchwork design.   

Combinations of everything I love and hold dear now are taking precedence in my home and on my person.  DO I care what you may think if you are to visit here?  Maybe a little, but not like I used to.  Now it is about what I like and makes me feel good.  I have always wanted to surround myself with things I have made and love or that have meaning for me.  So. now more than ever I slap colors on the walls and have an eye for what makes me happy rather than all those rules of design and proportion.   I pull arrangements together that no-one but I understand.  Vintage me understands this and glorifies in it.  Yes, what better time is there to really get to know myself and honor that?  It takes a lot of forgiveness and acceptance as well as patience and self-knowledge and what really matters.  Call me Crone, call me Vintage, or call me Becoming Enlightened.


* This blog was inspired by this site:  10 Elements for Shabby Chic Decorating

To Friendship!

This past Saturday, a good friend and I got together and had a delicious breakfast at Cafe Strudel on State Street in Cayce, SC.  Becasue time flies and we both have demands on our lives, it had been ages since we last got together.  One of our favorite things to do is to have a "show and tell" with some of our artistic projects.  We both "oooh and aaah" over what the other has accomplished in mutual admiration.  I usually take along knitting and jewelry, and Barbara brings her hand-spun yarns and handmade books.  In recent months, Barbara has decided that selling wool yarn or wool products isn't the easiest thing to do here in South Carolina.  So, A few years ago she became interested in Coptic book binding.  She creates her book covers with various materials and found pieces, and binds real paper pages into a beautiful book.  She now has three locations that have her books for sale, and she brought perhaps a dozen to show me.  Gorgeous all of them.  The best part is that she presented me with a choice among them.  I got this red one that had caught my eye.  Its beautiful vibrant color and flowing design just makes me feel good looking at it.

Barbara was so thoughtful, and presented me with a beautiful deep rich burgundy dahlia, that was a prize from her garden.  It glorified our little table as we munched away at our breakfasts, talking the whole while.  How wonderful it was to be surrounded with such positive energy for a change.  Due to my mother's health and Alzheimer's I rarely get out for such an invigorating and refreshing moment.  Well, it made my day and truth be told, ...my week.  Thank you Barbara!  She urged me to use the journal and not be intimidated by what might go into it, but I thought it would make a delightful way to add positive affirmations to my life.  So, here is my start Barbara... and thank you for being a good friend!  (...and I hope you will forgive me for hammering the faded flower)

Who Me? ...Profiled!

Feeling a little like a celebrity, I just have to point you to Jane Thornley's blog. Jane has been profiling her many talented followers for a few weeks now, and now she has profiled me! Now what would you do if someone asked you to write a page about who you are? Not as easy as it may seem, this was an exploration into the inner side of myself, and I don't always check in with me as often as one should. Read about me here.

Mom, Drink Your Gatorade!!!

I may have mentioned in another blog that I am caring for my mother who has Alzheimer's Disease. Early this Fall, she went through a period of off-and-on illness that was very puzzling. About three months ago now, she became ill. ...Just not feeling well, in addition to the ongoing increasing confusion, falling about every two weeks or so, and not being able to eat much, and a great deal of sleeping. With Alzheimer's, one is never quite sure just what is going on. It's like taking care of a baby. You know the baby is not well, but it's nearly impossible to discover what the problem is without taking the child to a doctor. Well, after several doctors visits, scans, and blood tests, it was determined that her electrolytes were off and she was dehydrated. The doctor prescribed Gatorade G2, which is excellent for replacing electrolytes, to replace her water requirement, and she slowly got better. She has not fallen in over a few months (as opposed to a few times a month for over a year!), does not "space out," and although the confusion is still present along with other Alzheimer's symptoms, she is doing a whole lot better. I can only feel that if she had been taking care of herself by not fighting her liquid intake, she would still be in robust health. Old people are tricky though, and my mom still hates to drink her daily fluids. She says she has to go to the bathroom all the time. She used to pour her water down the sink when I wasn't looking. Now, I use a drinking jug she can't figure out how to open so she has to drink it all! There is a twisted sort of humor to the situation!

One thing has stood out alarmingly for me, and I really want to share this loud and clear:

Drink enough fluids!

After many situations, some of which have been medically desperate, it became very clear to me that my mother's refusal to drink anything more than a minimal amount of water and other fluids over many years has caused her repeated health issues, and brought a lot of worry, fear and grief to her loved ones. ...And trips to the emergency room. Who knows what deficiencies were caused because of low fluid intake. I shudder to think about it! To make things more complicated, after about the age of 50, our sense of thirst diminishes, but not our need for fluids! Here is a link to a sight that discusses dehydration in detail. Take a few moments to visit them and read about this very important subject. You might even find that you are experiencing some of these symptoms and had no clue that you needed more fluids.

...And how much do you need to drink each day? Well, here is another link from the Mayo Clinic about that subject. So, go grab a glass of delicious water, ...and Cheers to you health!

Say "Work!" like Maynard G Krebs

Ha!  For anyone that can remember, Maynard was the beatnik buddy of the Dobie Gillis TV show in the 60's.   Just kidding though, I think we all ought to love our work.  ...I do, cuz  I am "hooked on energy" and am just as fascinated today as I was when it all started over 20 years back.  Recently, I began a study course for the re-certification of my business license.  Getting into the course, I found it was great and exciting information, and then it dawned on me that the person who developed it had pretty much dropped the ball about 2/3's of the way through.  It has to do with muscle testing and accessing the core of a "body project," and then activating ear acu-points with laser light to balance energy.  Well, that's all cool, but I have a problem with the ear.  It's just really small, and there is a lot of body to fit into it, if you get my drift.  Anyway, it would have been best if the creator of this course stopped there, because she went on to other things that were not really covered in any way to do them justice. At that point, my excitement fizzled out.

The end result of all this is that it got me thinking about all the modalities I have been using for the past twenty years, and how I can use them differently, and more effectively through structure. So, I have been pulling it into a practice format, and I like where its all going! Suffice it to say that I am moving quickly away from Chinese Tui Na massage, and moving toward acupressure done less on the body, and more as reflexology. Using colored light on the points ("colorpuncture") is awesome. So is "bathing" the body with colored light. Most people don't even have a clue! Color is a vibrational wavelength, and we attune to vibrational wavelengths. Think of it like music that is below our level of conscious sense.

More magic!

One of my resolutions for this year is to make magic every day. Part of this magic is giving myself a new wardrobe. Here is what I created a few days ago, and had a blast in the doing. I call it my Romaine (lettuce type) tunic. It is completely done on the serger, and this is a surprise for me, because I used to hate that machine. Not only is it a challenge to thread, but I was such a dressmaking perfectionist/snob that I considered it so below my quality standards that I only had it and used it for the pattern company I worked for. After finding some gloriously Grungy clothing on Etsy, I drug it out and barely dusted it off to get myself started. Now, I really must give it a proper cleaning and oiling so I don't ruin it. ...I have plans, you see.

I haev already finished the Wild Grasses vest. It goes nicely with the tunic as you can see here...

Now, I am designing and plotting other garments. I love the look of cowls, and can see them carrying over into warmer weather. Shrugs are also a great thing for every wardrobe. Both items are merely accessories, but they are totally practical, which, in my book, that makes them indispensable!

There's just one thing though. ...Where are the pockets????