Will soon be in my Shop

I'm going to be working on beading and adding items to my etsy shop this coming week. Thought I'd show you what I have as I start to add them. Hopefully these two will go in tomorrow. I'm almost finished photographing them.

Happy Halloween!

I've always loved Halloween. When I was a kid, I loved to dress as a gypsy every Halloween. My momma would make me a black skirt by dying a bed sheet black and then sewing it into a skirt. For some reason, we never saved the skirt (or maybe I played with it until it died a shredded death of it's own) and would have to make a new one the next year. I know I was a gypsy at least three or four years in a row. Poor momma must have been sick to death of dying and cutting up her sheets for me, but she did it every year without complaint. She also let me wear all of her costume jewelry! Which of course was the main reason for me wanting to be a gypsy in the first place. I loved momma's necklaces! She had so many fun, colorful necklaces back then. I remember nothing else about my costumes, but those were fun and I loved them.

It wasn't quite the same when I had my son. They had all of those plastic store bought things that he wanted to wear by then. I thought they were horrible, but if that was what he wanted, then OK. I doubt he has any of the same great memories like I did.

Then we moved here when he was eight. We're in a rural area on over 27 acres. You can't see the neighbors homes from our house. A perfect place to live to me, except on Halloween. We've never had one trick or treat-er. That makes me very sad. My son had his Halloween festivities elsewhere after we came here. He'd go to a school carnival or party or hay ride. Something like that. I'll be forever saddened about that little piece of childhood that ended early for him.

Now, I get to see photos of my grandchildren dressed in their costumes and hear tales from other family members and friends. It's almost as good, but not quite. So, enjoy every minute! I'll be thinking of you.

A Little News

I've signed up for an art challenge for next month. I have committed to do something artistic every day for the month of November. I plan to blog about it each day. Unfortunately, I will be at a quilt retreat mid-month and unable to blog while there, but I will blog about my artistic activities each day that I'm there, when I return. I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I hope you'll check in with me to see what I'm up to each day. In fact, you may want to even check it all out and join in yourself. If you do, click on the link in the first sentence of this posting. Leah actually has two challenges, one is the art challenge every day in November and the other is to be creative every day of the year.

Photo of the Week 31 of 39 -- Dessert

For me, if there is dessert it's usually either going to be cake or cookies. When you get right down to it though I am extremely picky when it comes to cake. I want it to be very good and it seems that there aren't that many cakes that measure up in my eyes. Now cookies on the other hand almost always measure up. Especially chocolate chip (or chunk) with pecans! Yummy good dessert and pretty simple.

This photo has some other favorite things of mine in it. Blue Willow dishes (they look great in a log home!), the color turquoise blue (just makes me happy) and sudoku puzzles.

Next week's theme is "circle".

Monday Question # 8

I know it's actually Tuesday, but my phone and DSL were out all day yesterday. This is the first time I've had a chance to post my Monday question for this week.

From The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, Ph.D. -- If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?

My answer -- I can't think of anything that I've left unsaid, that I haven't said at least once to the people I care for and love. I'd like to tell my son again that I'm proud of him, that I love him and to strive to be happy.

Photo of the Week 30 of 39 -- New

This is the rest of the "new" fabric that I bought from Marcia Derse at the Houston Quilt Festival! I may retake the photo of the two fabrics because it turned out a bit lighter than the actual fabric. The one on the left in that photo is actually more of a light olive green instead of tan looking.

I'm planning to make quilts from the group of two and then the group of five, but in actuality I could use all seven together. Aren't they yummy? I sure wish Marcia lived in Texas, so I could get more fabric from her. I mean, I still can, of course, but there is something about actually touching it as you shop that really gets me going.

Next week's theme is "dessert".

Photo of the Week 29 of 39 -- Garden

I totally forgot to look for a "garden" shot while I was in Houston last week. Fortunately, I had this on my computer. I took it during Strut Your Mutt last March while I was volunteering for the SPCA of Texas in Dallas. This was in one of the gardens at Fair Park. I have no idea what it is, but it reminded me of honeysuckle growing on a tree! I loved the color and imagined the hummingbirds visiting it soon. If I ever find out what it is, I may have to get one for my yard.

Our next theme is "new".

A New Art Quilt

I think the top is done, but I'm not totally sure. There are three of the fabrics I purchased from Marcia Derse in this one. I'm debating names for it too. With any luck, I'll have it complete in time for Dallas Quilt Celebration 2010.

My First etsy Sell!

This is the first item to sell out of my etsy shop! My Chalcedony Anglican Rosary sold while I was at my sister's for the Houston Quilt Festival. Talk about excited. I did a happy dance, to the best of my ability after two days of walking the show. I looked more like Fred Sanford from "Sanford and Son" doing some kind of jig than any kind of happy dance. My niece B got a big kick out of me.

I shipped the rosary out on Monday. Hopefully it is now in the hands of it's new owner. Now, I need to get busy uploading photos of new items for the shop.

Catching my Breath

Last week was so busy. I don't feel that I've even recovered from all the fun I had yet. Time doesn't stand still for that to happen though, so here I am playing catch up.

Houston Quilt Festival was amazing, as usual! The quilts were stunning. I just love to see them all. I did really well staying out of the vendors. That is until I met up with my friend Mary for lunch. Then I started shopping with her. I bought wonderful, fun things that have my creative juices flowing! I can't wait to get to work on some of the ideas I have. I think the items I'm most excited about are the hand dyed fabrics (a real weakness for me!) that I bought from Marcia Derse . I'm going to try my hand at art quilts with these fabrics, possibly to add to my etsy shop. I had such a difficult time picking out what to get from her! I wanted all of it. Luckily some of her fabrics have inspired a fabric line that will soon be out. The Gerta Collection is designed for Troy. I'm hoping and praying that at least one of my "local" quilt shops will carry it, but Marcia assured me that I could get it through her website if it isn't.

I spent two days at the show. Finally did get back to finish seeing the quilts, including special exhibits from China and Russia. I always love the exhibit by SAQA -- Studio Art Quilt Associates and this year there was a digital photo exhibit of photos taken by quilters. Amazing. I was wishing for a book of that exhibit. It had been four years since I'd been to the show. I'd like to start going more often, but I'll have to figure out how to spend less if I'm going to be able to do that.

My Question for the Day

Can you forgive and still be hurt and, at times, angry? Or do those feelings mean that you have not truly forgiven?

*According to my therapist, I have not totally forgiven. There would be no anger if I had. Guess I have more work to do after all.

Photo of the Week 28 of 39 -- Flowers

I took two photos of these flowers, but I actually liked this one the best. I thought they looked very nice in this light. They are just sitting in my car in the natural sunlight. Aren't they pretty?

Next week's theme is "garden". Maybe I can find one in Houston this week. Sorry to be posting this so early, but I hated to be late again.

Now and This Week

I'm going to be out of town at the end of the week so I'll be posting my photo of the week early. I'm going to the Houston Quilt Festival!



I've got a lot of things to do before I leave early Wednesday morning to meet my momma and sister for my dear momma's 70th birthday celebration. We're going to lunch at a restaurant that has a reputation for being haunted! Mom and I love stuff like that.



It's also my hubby's birthday. He totally understands me not being home to celebrate with him so that I can be there to celebrate with momma. He and I will celebrate his birthday when I return. We were going to celebrate his birthday before I left, but our water is funky tasting and smelling right now and I think it would ruin the chicken for frying, so the celebration has been put on hold. That is one of the occasional drawbacks to living in a rural area. Our water gets nasty at times.



It would have also been my dad's birthday. He would have been 71 this year. Yes, you read that right, all of them -- my husband and both parents share the same birthday.



As for other updates on my life, I'm doing really good now. After a lot of work, with a counselor and alone, I've been able to forgive both friends who had hurt me so badly at the end of August. I've told the friend in person who lives locally and mailed a letter to the friend who lives out of state. I have decided that even though I've forgiven the person that is out of state, I no longer want that person in my life, so they are actually a former friend. I'm happy again! So happy in fact that I'm having trouble figuring out how to finish the miniature quilt that I had started to work out some of my Rage on. I had started to embroider the word rage, but now I think I'll take that out and just do the quilting I had planned to. I'll still title it Rage though.

Photo of the Week 27 of 39 -- Spiral

The photo of these spiral seed pods was taken when my grand-

children were here visiting in August of this year. They were hanging on a tree in my daughter-in-law's parent's yard. The seeds remind me a little of the seeds of a Mimosa tree, but Mimosa seeds don't spiral and this tree doesn't have the pink puffy flowers of a Mimosa. The leaves don't look quite right either. I don't know what kind of tree this is. It was a very humid day. That's why the top left of the photo is somewhat cloudy. I think the camera had started to fog over a bit.

I believe this brings me up to date. I'll try to stay up to date now. Things have settled down in my life again. Thank you for your patience and for being there for me. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Next week's theme is "flowers".

Photo of the Week 26 of 39 -- Still Life

I took this photo at my sister's house last month. She and her family have just moved back to Texas. Hurray! I get to see them now more than once a year now. This photo was taken during some of the unpacking. My sister has a lot of really wonderful old things. I used to have a lot of wonderful old things too, but never as many or as wonderful as my sister has. I've gotten rid of most of mine because I've finally realized that I really hate to dust them and wonderful old things can make your house look really horrible if you don't dust them.

The next theme is "spiral".

Monday Question # 7

From The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, Ph. D. Question: If you were at a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner and you found a dead cockroach in your salad, what would you do?

My answer: I would say nothing. I probably would not be able to finish the salad, but I know that it wouldn't kill me or anyone else, so I'd keep my mouth shut. I'd eat the rest of my meal, trying not to think of what could have possibly run though it or actually be in it also. The reason I'd do this is that it could happen to anyone. I would not want to embarrass or upset my friend or any of the other guests and I certainly wouldn't want to make a scene.

*Many years ago, I lived in a southern state that was very humid and had a large cockroach population. One of my in-laws lived in the same area, in an apartment and had a huge problem with roaches. When we would be invited over for dinner, I would rinse off my utensils and eat the food, shutting out all thoughts of the roaches. The in-law was a wonderful cook and I just decided that they did everything within their power to make sure the food was free of all the things it should be free of.

Welcome to the World...

Congratulations to my cousin Sundey on the birth of her sweet little girl -- Harper Joy! Welcome to the world baby girl!