a message from the glory days
{image courtesy zapp196, flickr}
I've seen so many pretty & interesting inspiration boards posted on various blogs recently (poppytalk and modish are great places to see some of these), and they've 'inspired' me to examine my own inspiration board. It's filled with lots 'o notes and cards from Matt, my sister and the Peanut Man, in addition to pics, colors, shapes and patterns that lift me up. The note that I always have in my periphery as I sew is the one I like the most, and thought you might get something out of it, too!
Background: Back in 2004 (seems like much longer than that!), I was a partner in a painting business called Fresh Paint LLC. I'm sure you've heard me reference it previously. We were asked to be part of a Designers' Showcase, which was a fundraiser for a women's shelter. It was one of the most challenging and labor-intensive things I've ever done. I was so stressed out, couldn't eat, had no time to do regular things. When it came time for opening night, Matt gave me a card with this note inside about what an inspiration Fresh Paint was to him and Peanut Man - and the lessons they took away from this experience just by watching it all unfold. Without further adieu...
1. Make time, don't kill time.
2. TALENT may start it, but ATTITUDE will finish it.
3. Why 'push the envelope'...when you can shove it the hell through!
4. A war for integrity lost is always better than a battle for pennies won.
5. Never be ashamed of a creative idea.
Bonus: Never agree to paint a house that has no working bathrooms. {long story for another day}
{handpainted powder room & floorcloth from Designers' Showcase 2004 - my sister liked it so much, I replicated it in her powder room!}
Peanut Man loves to draw as much as he loves to jump, read and build Legos. His teacher this year lets her students read or draw when they have free time in class. At first, I was a little put off by the idea of kids' drawing over reading, but I think that was my own hang-up b/c that's "the way we did it." I don't know about other people's kids, who might spend too much time in front of the TV and their only reading time is in school. But that doesn't apply to Peanut Man - this guy enjoys reading (one of his Grandmas is a librarian) - he will blow through an entire series in a weekend if allowed.
An early morning hike doesn't get much better than this: gorgeous blue sky (my husband's favorite color), crisp, cold air, two dogs running, busy birds chirping, and the 3 musketeers bounding along a lakeside path. We've been doing Sunday morning hikes for about 5 years now - pretty much our version of church. We've never found ourselves more centered, more uplifted or more enlightened than after a walk in Mother Nature's woods. Truly, our hearts and souls are overflowing with a very conscious and contagious joy. Anyone can read from a book on a pulpit, but the awesome beauty and simple complexities of a forest burgeoning with life will re-align your sense of good and righteousness more than any word on a page. Give it a try. Let yourself be humbled by the wonder of it all, and let me know how clear-headed and energetic you feel afterward!
There was a definite skew toward the "off" flavors in this jellybean bag (by off, I mean green apple, peach and strawberry). So we made pictures instead.
Just applied to 
Such is life, yes? Which is which has a lot to do with your perspective. This Bugger's up to 500+ jumps in a row. He doesn't count when the pogo hits the ground - he counts when he's in the air.
Peanut Man is taking an art class where the students make (any guesses?)....giant paper mache creatures! He opted for a dragon that's about 6 ft. long with a wing span of about 5 ft. I think we're lucky the wings aren't to scale, and that they're currently detachable. Getting it home in our fuel-efficient car should be interesting. Big dragons, big messy hands and big yawns. A perfect evening!
Kind of a buzzkill to put up an image that's almost 100% ghosted out, isn't it?. What gives Jan? Basically, I sent out a FedEx package today that was probably the singlemost important item I've ever mailed in my life. It symbolizes a huge turning point for me, my career, my life. Even if the opportunity doesn't pan out, it still means I've gotten where I need to be to continue moving myself forward to a place that I can actually now see. You have no idea how powerful that feels! I've been in the creative arts/design business for about 10 years - I've seen a lot of things in that time. I've also learned a sh*tload! I know that I am where I am today b/c I was willing to work hard, take advantage of opportunities (some that I made myself), deal with nightmares, give up a lot of sleep, go out on a limb, jump from stepping-stone to stepping-stone without ever knowing quite where I would end up. Sometimes it is about the journey, and sometimes you just want to know the E.T.A. darn it! If you would have told me that it would take 10 years to get to your "crazy vision" - I would have said, "Get real!" Yet, here I am. My husband has been ready for Phase II (really Phase V or VI) to begin for about 9 of the 10 years, but back then I didn't know what I didn't know...and now I know it! I will let you know how it turns out... 
We were going out for a walk last night, and I thought I'd snap a few pics for our Christmas card before we set-off. Both dogs were told to sit and stay - Scout (on the right - a rescued pooch from WV) will not move a muscle until she is released, ever. She's unbelievably obedient! George (goober on left) just turned 1 in October. He's a rescued pooch from NC, and this is his first real snow (if you can call it that). He was having no parts of sitting and staying - he's very wiggly and lanky and wormy - and strong! He was desperate to bound through the snow - he just kept pulling and snaking backwards to get away. My batteries were dying, and I was a little "excited" as I was telling my son to get him to sit, he kept yelling, "It's okay, Mom! Just take the picture....It'll be fine, Mom! Really, it'll be fine." In that instant, I realized, "He's absolutely, positively right!!" And it's just that sort of wisdom (at 10 yrs old!) that shines through now and again and levels a situation like nothing else can. I'll keep that nugget in my pocket as I stumble through this busy season...it'll be fine! (And I really like this pic b/c that's real life, take it or leave it.) Thanks JD.
No pressure in writing The First Post. I only wish I had started a loooooong time ago. So many things have happened, been contemplated, fired me up or freaked me out that were definitely bloggable. And as I find myself in those moments, I see the pictures, I read the words....but alas, it was also at those times that there was certainly not a spare second to start a brand-spanking new blog. Not to make the NOW minutes feel less important than the THEN minutes, but that's what "seam allowances" are for: giving yourself room. Take it when you need it, give it when you have it.
