Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Some People Suck

I know that is not a very gracious thing to say, but I can't help it that it's true...

I was supposed to move into this house on Thursday.  The movers packed up all my stuff in Texas this weekend, and they are on their way now. 

I haven't heard from the owner in THREE weeks. I have heard through other channels that, after commiting to lease it to me for a year, he is now negotiating an offer on it.  I can't blame him for wanting to sell it instead of rent it, but his total suckiness in not letting me know this has left me frantically searching for a place to live at the last minute.

I gave up a GREAT house because the jerk said he wanted to rent this one.  As he became more difficult to reach, I gave him SEVERAL opportunities to back out of the deal.  Instead he has completely ignored all of my attempts to contact him for the last few weeks.

So, yeah, some people suck.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Do People in Sheboygan Read?

They must because I've seen a used bookstore, but I cannot find a place to buy new books or get a good selection of magazines.  The closest Barnes & Noble is 50 miles away!   Please tell me this isn't the only place to buy books!!

Friday, February 24, 2012

More Winter

You're probably tired of hearing about winter, but this is a new thing for me.  Last Friday was another big snow, and it snuck up on me.  I walked outside to go to work and it was coming down thick!

It looks like it was really early or late, but nope - these were taken about 8:30 AM.   Of course, I was running late (what else is new?), and I needed to stop by the post office.  It just looks miserable cold doesn't it?  It was!


Neat old light fixture outside the post office.  People around here probably think I'm crazy - stopping in this crazy snow storm to take pictures.  Very inconvenient, but really pretty.


So, this one was probably not the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to document how bad the visibility was.  It was bad!  I know, I know, I should have been focused on the road, but instead I was taking pictures.  Kids, don't try this at home!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Roots & Wings


This is the project that I was working on in January.  A new baby girl joined the family on January 20th, and what better opportunity to share one of my favorite sayings (and the one where I got this blog's name). 

I had about 20 different ideas of how I wanted this to look, and I couldn't make up my mind.  Finally, I just started doing something, and it just kind of came together as I worked on it.


This was the start - paper piecing in the background and then gesso, ink and paint on top.


And a modeling paste sun, of course.  Above is 'before' and below is the 'after' sun.  I used glossy mod podge - I'm having a love/hate relationship with the gloss MP.  Can't really decide if I like it or not.


As I mentioned, I had several images in my head, but ended up choosing butterfiles for the "wings" part, and...


 
... flowers for the "roots" part.


Still, I think the sentiment is really enough all by itself.


That's it... waaaa-laaa!


Welcome to the world, baby girl!  We are so glad you are here!

Linking up here, here, here, here and here

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Ungrateful Wretch, I know...

Surprise!

I really was surprised when these were delivered last week! The Man had acted like he forgot about Valentine's Day the night before, so I was stunned.

Also, My new office doesn't have a physical address.  No, really - I've asked people who have worked here for 30 years, and they all tell me that if there is a physical address, it's top secret.  It's just known as 'Building 83.'  Because of that, I figured that nothing would ever find it's way to me.


I love getting flowers, and I really, really, really appreciated getting these roses!

And, the internet is a wonderful tool....

But... I think sites like proflowers have sucked all of the "special" out of getting flowers.

At the risk of sounding like an ungrateful wretch, I must admit that DIY flowers are not really my favorite.  I'm not very good at flower arranging, so it just doesn't seem as special to me when the flowers come in a box and I have to figure out how to make them pretty.  I just prefer getting a beautiful arrangement put pre-assembled by a local florist.


However, in this case, I think that proflowers actually worked in my favor.  Because they were sent through the mail, and had my mail stop in the address, they made it to me.  YEA! Love them - very pretty (even with my sub-par arranging talents).

Monday, February 20, 2012

Progress - Week 5


I know this is kind of pitiful, but it makes me happy that I can see Lake Michigan from my hotel window (kinda).  That lake is HUGE!  When you look at it, it seems like it's an ocean because you can't see the other side.

Ok - I was excited when I started this series of posts, but now...not so much.  Maybe the title should be (No) Progress.  Ugh!  Alrighty, here's my sad, but true update

Last week:
  1. Work: stop procrastinating - do the 'hard' stuff that I have been putting off. End Friday with no more than 25 emails in my inbox. (Nope - didn't achieve this - instead I spent almost 4 solid days working on salary planning - not a bad thing, but not the progress that I'd hoped for - frustrating!)
  2. Health: 6 hours of sleep at least 5 times, sign up for weight watchers online and stick to points allowance for the week. (I think I did get 6 hours at least 5 times (YEA!); signed up; what are points?)
  3. Home: secure rental house in WI and make all arrangements for the move; send in all relo paperwork. (Paperwork is done!  This finding a place to live is going to make me insane - every time I think I found a place, something happens - it shouldn't be this hard.)
  4. Wealth: sort through all mail from home; pay bills; submit all relo expenses. (yes, yes, working on it - at least I've got them all separated out and I can submit them this week.)
  5. Head: blog at least three times. (Yes!  at least I'm consistently achieving on this one.)
  6. Soul: art journal - 1 page at least; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.  (No, no - no worries here - i'm not beating myself up on this one since I refuse to feel bad about something that is supposed to be fun.)
  7. Heart:  grace and gratitude. (I've had better weeks.)
This week - I WILL MAKE PROGRESS!!!!:
  1. Have tough discussion that I can't share online.  End Friday with no more than 25 emails in my inbox.
  2. 6 hours of sleep at least 5 times; find out what my points allowance is and stick to it for the week.
  3. Secure rental house in WI (this is not negotiable - the movers are coming to my house in Dallas at the end of this week and I need to have a place where they can deliver my stuff!) and make arrangements for utilities.
  4. Submit all relo expenses.
  5. Blog 3 times; art journal - 1 page at least; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Art Journal Backgrounds

I mentioned the other day that I'd been doing a little (very little) bit of art journaling.  I think through this process that I have learned something about myself:  I like to make backgrounds almost better than anything else.


I've been working on something else, so when I had left-over paint I just slapped it on blank pages in various journals.  Results have been inconsistent at best.   Some I liked (above), and some are just ugly (below)...

...but they aren't done yet.  I'm sure that I can save them somehow - if all else fails, gesso will fix the problems. 


I like this one (below).  I haven't really used paint markers before, and I was just experimenting on the border here.  Like it!


And you can't go wrong with modeling paste and plastic doilies:


Used the doily as a stencil (top), then flipped it over and used it as a stamp (bottom).


Love, love, love everything about this page:  dimension, color, layout.  Just have to figure out what else to do with it to finish it off (without ruining it). 



Thursday, February 16, 2012

A Bit of Winter Pretty


This was just a really pretty pond that was all froze up.

I took these pictures for my Florida-born friend who couldn't remember ever having seen a body of water completely frozen over. 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Road Trip!

Last week, I was able to go home for a few days.  I had to turn in my rental car and take care of a bunch of relo paperwork with The Man, but aside from the 'business' part of my trip, I really needed to see my people!  It was good to get home, but man-oh-man, what a whirlwind!


This is what waited for me - a month of mail - ugh!  I haven't made it through the stacks yet, but I brought all of it with me.  In between work and meeting everyone for dinner, I managed to declutter the house (just don't look in the garage), meet with the realtor to finalize the listing stuff, and pack up my car.
Oh my goodness!  I really don't have room for any of this in the hotel, but once I got started the stuff just seemed to multiply.  Best friend, Mel, is awesome and she rode shotgun for the entire drive.  I left a little, tee-tiny spot for her bag on the other side of the back seat.

Then we wedged ourselves into the front seat and started on the long, long drive.  It was 17 hours of drive time, but it took us a bit longer because we may - or may not - have stopped at an outlet mall.  The time went really quickly.  We drove about 10 hours the first day and stopped in St. Louis for the night.  I felt extremely uptown as I strolled into the hotel carrying my Ikea luggage.


The next day, we saw our first snow.  It's been a fairly mild winter - thank goodness!  And that made for an easier drive, too - the roads were clear all the way.


We did see some areas that were frozen - the rivers and ponds were really pretty.

When we finally arrived at my home away from home, we unloaded most of the junk out of my car (some is just going to stay in there until I move into my more permanent home).  Here I am trying to sort through various bags and find a place for everything.  Ugh - I'm going to have to upgrade to the 2-bedroom suite just so I can have a place for all of it!


And lookin' oh so pretty after that 2-day drive - but obviously pretty darn happy to be out of the car!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Brave


I've done a little bit of art journaling - mostly backgrounds - but I did finish one page the other day.  I just had this idea floating around in my head...  I cut the letters out of a map of Sheboygan.



That's kind of how I feel things have been going for the past few years.  For a while, I was at a complete stop - maybe even going backwards - then last year it started to feel like things were picking up a bit, but moving really, really slow.  Since the start of this year, it feels like everything is on all out GO!  And it's all going in a good way - FINALLY!!!

And you would think that I'd be ready for anything, but still even when things are going well, it sometimes takes a little bravery to go with it and appreciate it.  I am appreciating it - TONS - in spite of the fear and hesitation. 


Monday, February 13, 2012

Progress - Week 3 & 4


Last Week:

I was road-trippin' at this time last week, so I didn't update or set new goals.  I thought about it, and my goal for the week was "survive".  I did, therefore:  SUCCESS!!  :-)

But a quick update on the week before last:
  1. Work:  get caught up on email; consolidate and start working on my "To Do" list.  (I think that getting caught up on email may be setting myself up for failure every week - is it possible to every get caught up?  I'm WWWWAAAAAYYYY behind because I took a couple of days off to go home and drive my car back up here.  I was able to consolidate my lists into one, but then I started making more lists. hmmmm....  are seeing a pattern here?)
  2. Health:  I’ll commit to getting at least 6 hours of sleep for at least 5 days this week - keepin' it real. (I think I did this, but then last week I didn't do it at all.)
  3. Home: put down a deposit on rental; paint lights and vents at home; take care of all necessary relo paperwork; make hotel reservations for trip back; pack up and drive my car back to WI. (Success!!  I did everything except put down a deposit on a rental house.  I wrote the check for a deposit then changed my mind and picked a different house - now I'm just waiting on the owner to tell me where to send the check.)
  4. Wealth: pay bills; make sure all relo expenses have been submitted and paid.  (nope - ugh)
  5. Head: blog at least three times. (YES!  Did it the week I made the goal for, last week got away from me a bit, but I'm still claiming success on this one!)
  6. Soul: finish "special" art project; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals. (Finished project, still no SR2 goals.)
  7. Heart: grace and gratitude. (Working on this one every day.)

This week:
  1. Work:  stop procrastinating - do the 'hard' stuff that I have been putting off.  End Friday with no more than 25 emails in my inbox.
  2. Health:  6 hours of sleep at least 5 times, sign up for weight watchers online and stick to points allowance for the week. (something has gotta change!) 
  3. Home: secure rental house in WI and make all arrangements for the move; send in all relo paperwork.
  4. Wealth: sort through all mail from home; pay bills; submit all relo expenses. 
  5. Head: blog at least three times.
  6. Soul: art journal - 1 page at least; write my Soul Restoration 2 goals.
  7. Heart: grace and gratitude.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Valentine's Day Garland


This is crazy, but I wanted, needed, had to have my sewing machine!  I don't really know how to sew, but out of all my crafting supplies, that is what I missed most.  So, when I went home last weekend, that was the first thing I packed in my car!  Love, love, love having it here, and not only that, but I have actually used it in the last few days.


I whipped up a couple of Valentine's Day garlands. Who doesn't love a garland?!  So festive!


All it took was some scrap paper, the sewing machine, and a few punches.  Quick and easy!


And so colorful! LOVE! The trickiest part of the project was keeping them untangled (see below). I had to cut a couple of them apart and resew them because they got all knotted up. 


And then there was figuring out where to put the darn things in this tiny hotel room.  This is the best I came up with...


Just doin' what I can to try to make it home-y and festive.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Winter


(This is an old picture that I just ran across. It has nothing to do with this post, but I thought it was cool. The reflection of the sun on the window made it look like I was on a different planet.)


Based on my previous whining, it's probably hard to believe, but I think I have secretly been longing for winter. After a hectic holiday, many people talk about the bitter, gray cold of the winter slump, but do you ever get the feeling that winter is intentional?

Once the crazy hustle and bustle, over-indulgence, and over-extension of the holidays are over, don't you need a time of abstinence, when you don't have so many temptations or obligations? This is a time when nature seems to close up shop and the dreary weather encourages you to snuggle in and recover and reflect. It kinds feels like we are given this time to finish up and put away all the stuff from last year so we can start the new year off fresh.  It seems like it's a time for acknowledging and accepting what is and listening as nature tells us to “slow down.”

Nature minimizes the distractions for us. We're being not only invited, but urged, to go inside - inside our homes and inside ourselves. We should be appreciating this dormant period when, like the plants, we can store our energy in preparation for the big bloom in the spring.

It feels like we should purposefully slow down to lay the foundation for the rest of the year. We have the time now to make sure this foundation is solid and level. That it is strong enough and broad enough to hold our dreams and support all that we will build in the coming months.

However, as is typical, once you have set a course, the universe seems to throw up everything it can to distract you from it. I've been under a lot of pressure lately to get things done - at work and at home, but all I want to do is slow down. That is really hard to do in a world that is go, go, go.  I'm sure this is one of the lessons I'm meant to learn...

Friday, February 3, 2012

Good Day


I hear tell this is like summer time... 

I'm not complaining - this is good!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Missin' My Studio

I have to say that I feel a bit weird calling it a 'studio'.   While we may do crafts in there, I think we also do art - and art is done in a studio, so there you have it.  I'm calling it a studio, and that's that.
Anyway, I'm missing it!


Look at how clean it was before I left. 



I brought some supplies with me, and I've been to the Hobby Lobby too many times to mention, but it's just not the same. I don't know what made me think I could live without my sewing machine. I N.E.E.D. it! I cannot wait until my trip home this weekend. I'm going to load it up in the car and haul it and a bunch more stuff back here (as if I have room for any more junk). 

Let me just show you the hardship I'm dealing with... (sarcasm).

I'm in an extended stay hotel, and it's like a teeny, tiny one bedroom apartment.  It's fine for what it is - serves its purpose, but it does not have one single closet!  I don't have anywhere to put my clothes much less my supplies.  So, as I have increased my hoard, I've also had to purchase storage solutions.  It's getting a little crazy...

This is where I'm working now.


Waaaa-laa!  Living room/napping space, dining room, office, studio combo. 

I took the combo theme a bit further and purchase the standing lamp/desk lamp at the Target.  It's ugly, but it's functional and it was cheap - those are my primary purchasing criteria right now.  I hate hotel rooms - why are they always so dark and dreary?  I like to SEE what I'm doing, so I want lots and lots and lots of light - all of the time.

Oh yeah, add kitchen area to that list too!  Here it is - my entire living space (except the bedroom and bathroom).  It is constantly in disarray because it's such a small space to cram all of my stuff into and actually live there, too!  Not to mention the oh-so-lovely burgundy, green, gold and peach color scheme.  I don't remember when I signed up for this kind of roughing it experience, but I don't like it.

I gotta find a place to live.

I'm willing to briefly consider the possibility that I might, just may be the teeny-tiniest bit spoiled.  Naaahhhh....