Catching Up!

 

Where DOES the time go?  I've been wanting to write and post for days.  Then I realized...I am just going to have to stop and do it!  It is fairly obvious I am not really ever going to catch up! So, I'm just going to have to put that in my "just do it" schedule.  That means the dishes are waiting for someone to wash them.  And so it goes ....

Do you know any little people that might like a plaque to hang in their bedrooms or play room?  I have made a whole slew of these things (southern term "slew" - means a whole lot!) and there are all kinds of them.  They are boys' and girls' age appropriate fun plaques.  Well, here are a few examples:
 

 This is a 3D Cowgirl plaque - I do a lot of art shows in Tennessee - this is always a favorite of the girls.  It's about 7" tall by 12" wide - and that is a rough estimate.

Where there is a cowgirl, there must be a cowboy too! ... an odd shaped one - somewhere around 12" high by 9" wide

3D,  they are all painted all the way around - on solid board and all that.

 This is not the best shot of this in the world ... but you get the idea and here are some details too

 What would America be without Baseball?  Another odd shaped one ... about 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide.  Love this one.

There are choices: soccer, football, skiing, cheerleading, etc., etc.

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We had some very hard news to take this week.  Our little buddy Dylan was given a bone marrow transplant about a month ago.  He was getting along just dandy, back to school, really living again without the demands of being inside hospital walls even.  But yesterday the doctors found a recurrence of the cancer.  I am heart broken for the entire family.  Please send up a prayer on behalf of Dylan for his miracle healing, and his mom and dad (Ron & Dana) for strength and grace during this unfathomable time.  Thank you.

Yesterday I made another journal.  It is precious.  I can't show it right now, but I will by week's end.  Anyway, during the process of making the newest journal, my sewing machine and I fell out of grace with each other.  Recently my friend and incredible artist, Cindy Michaud wrote a blog post about being angry with a painting because she just couldn't get it to succumb to her needs. (read about it right here) I remember thinking at the time how I didn't understand how you could get mad at your work.  WELL!!!!  I always get an answer, however not usually as expediently as this one! I can now take my sewing machine apart, clean and oil her, and with LOVE AND RESPECT for all she does for me, put her back together in an afternoon's time.  But just to be clear, I was fighting mad, tear filled and very nearly had bad words fighting to make their way onto the sewing table!  I finished the journal a day later than intended, but it is done.  And now I will rest! Well, sort of ...

I have something exciting coming up to share so check back soon!

Blessings to all,

Antsy

Do you ever get antsy?  I sure do! And most of the time it takes me a few days (or decades) to figure out what is going on!  I am a huge list maker.  I have lists for my lists even, sometimes.  And lo and behold, I do believe it is these crazy lists that are making me antsy!  Because let me just say the options are plentiful and I am dearly blessed!  So here to go along with my antsy status are some random antsy-esque noteworthy (as least in my opinion) items.

  On Monday, Mr. and I loaded ourselves up and went to Knoxville.  Why?  To meet with my sweet niece who I've rarely seen in her lifetime.  And it was an absolutely DELIGHTFUL day!  Knoxville is a sweet little town, incidentally.  Not really little, that is a term of endearment.  (I'm southern)  So here are some visuals:

 Great bridges!

 A Riverboat, even!

 Reconstructing this bridge.

 A great walkway on the River.  We were down by the football stadium at UT.

 I love the mixing of old and new.  And just look at the sky! It was truly a glorious day.

 My niece Erin on the left, and me grinning ear to ear. 

 The camera man thinking he was an artist!

 Erin and the Mr. ... Paul, my precious husband with his dimples blazing.

He is such a wonderful human being.  And an even better husband.

I am so grateful for that!

Just the two of us.

~~~~

Tuesday was a blur with grocery store and etc. --- but yesterday I began a new Chalk Paint project for the Rusted Periwinkle.   We are going to "take our store on the road" to Metrolina in Charlotte so we need to get a lot accomplished by the first weekend of April.  Here is the table I'm currently working on ... and I will keep posting the transition.  I love giving furniture a new look --- always fun!

 BEFORE - dark ...

 DURING

and today I will paint the top Old White ... the transition will be ah-mazing. :-)  I will post the after when that really happens!  You should see the furniture paint list --- long. as. your. arm.

The Rusted Periwinkle has a page on facebook if you'd like to be a fan, feel free to like us!  The more the merrier and it makes us feel loved!  go here!!

 And so ... on top of the normal things in Cheriville, there is also the matter of fasting/changing.  I have dropped a little bit of weight but I've gained a huge bit of insight into some things food related. (as resource, I follow the Daniel Diet somewhat, Dr. Joel Furhman's Eat to Live, and personal instinct from 30 years of doing this.) As I continue on my journey to get healthy in honor of Jenn and Christian, it transitions into the whole lenten, spring cleaning season.  It is always a beautiful time of year.  And it always brings the things I am grateful for to the foreground so I can honestly let go of the junk and move forward on my personal growth.  It is the time when I am able to hear the whispers best.  I am listening now.  I hope you all are enjoying glorious blue skies and sunshine!

Blessings,

Trusting the Process

I remember being horribly impatient as a child.  I don't remember that improving any through my teen years.  I don't really know when it happened, but I am now beyond patient.  I will now wait for literal years for something to come to fruition without losing my patience.  I will wait 15 or 20 minutes for my cats to get up enough nerve to walk through the cat door!!  I worked with children for so long that I can even enjoy waiting for things to happen and just delight in the process!  HOWEVER, lately I am finding that I am tiring of the processes that require waiting.  So, instead of getting all hung up in trying to understand any of it, I'm just going to trust in it.  It's so much easier.  And it's what I know and believe in.

During my waiting period, I have been making inspiration journals again because I love doing them.  Here are a few shots of one of the new ones.  I love these pages.  What do you think?

These turn out so very pretty, so feminine and girlie, and just great if you are tactile and love layers of things (and like keeping journals, of course).  The pockets are great for holding pens, mementos, inspirational tidbits, and pictures of your mom and kids. 
 And I'm making lots of these! So much fun.
And MUCH better than waiting. ;-)

Blessings,

Valentine's Day

Well, here it is! St. Valentine's Day.  The day of love.
(and obviously, I forgot to hit "publish post" so here it is, the day AFTER!)

The thing is, every day is a day of love here at the Glover house.  We live a loving existence.  We work hard at making sure our life is filled with love.  So, it's weird to find a celebratory vein on this day, when we celebrate it every day.  Hmmmmm.  Timing is everything still, I suppose.  So, creatively speaking I have another batch of rosettes made.

Now to get them into brooches!  Glue gun torture coming right up!

I sent the purse out with one of the finished brooches as an adornment.  What do you think?

And I am currently working on an art journal for some special someone.  I hope the person who this journal goes to will use it until it's filled with the most powerful, helpful, amazing and personal things their heart has to offer, just as it is intended.  Here's the cover(s) ... I'm currently making the one on the left.  I will do the one on the right this week as well.  Stay tuned!  I LOVE making these, but you really have to be in the zone so they will be full and intriguing.

Must get on with things.  Have a dinner to make for my man (Super Scooter Paul) and an evening filled with all kinds of things ...

Happy Valentine's Day to you all.  May love inundate your world, and stay inside your bubble all the days of your lives.

Blessings,

This week

This week started out warm, in fact these guys were out sunbathing on Tuesday!!  (of course, it's snowing now ... ho hum)  I told them to go back ... :-/

I was standing on the epicenter of the San Andreas fault in California inside a gift shop way back when and I feel in love with the Kokopelli figures.  Paul made this one for for our "Avant Garden" in front of our home.  Just a random tidbit!  But she does seem to fertilize the plants and make them all very productive and healthy.

I started this post Friday afternoon, but it is now Saturday morning and it is REALLY snowing!  We haven't seen much of that this year.  It's really pretty and nice.  I was outside this morning for my morning meditation.  Albeit an abbreviated period of time, it was so sweet and serene ... quiet and wonderful.  Made it VERY easy to listen for what I am supposed to hear.  Thanks, Mother Nature!  It's so nice to eliminate the NOISE every once in a while.

Thursday I made this Kindle Fire cover for a friend's daughter for Valentine's Day.  Then I made another one just like it but slightly bigger.  :-/ fyi - you must allow for the thickness of the Kindle before you make the cover. ;-)

Then I finished this for my own daughter.  I wove it back in December and have been waiting for the opportunity to finish it. Thursday night was that opportunity and I'm so happy with the finished product! I hope she is happy as well!  (if she doesn't like it, I'll keep it! tee hee)  I think it's her colors of choice and she will look marvelous carrying it around!

It is fully lined and I even put a pocket inside of this one ... clever, I tell you! ;-)

Next I make my grandson sleeping masks.  His mom went to Japan a few years ago and brought one back and he's been sleeping in one ever since.  Funny how things happen.  Anyway, that is this morning's creative project.  I'll post pics when I get it all together.  Also Paul is cutting out more rosettes ... so those will be coming up too.  Also will put together a couple of journals this weekend.

Yesterday I had my computer class.  The fella who teaches is helping me get my art "web ready".  I learned how to fix the distortion, straighten and crop the pics for proper presentation.  It's a lot of fiddly work, but so worth it on the final product!

This is the original photo (don't judge-I know there is a huge glare - it's JUST a lesson, ok?)

 and here is the one for web work

I would never really use this with the glare, but you get the idea ... I'm learning!  Which is nice to know can happen: old dog;new tricks ...  I have a ton of these plaques I would love to share, so photos to follow (and sooner than later).

Since it is such a winters day, I have put a bit pot of aduki beans on the stove.  I always seem to want to cook in this weather.  And it's a good thing since I've begun my fasting program.  I will go into more detail when I figure it all out, but for now I will just say it's fruits and veggies, one serving of whole grain and lots of beans for protein, and of course water.  And that is all.  It's a fasting plan.  I have made it through week 1, more or less.  I still have coffee.  I know that is not the plan, but it's my plan.  And I'm walking on the tread mill.  And I feel MUCH better.  Yay!  I'm loving the endorphins that are firing again.  And I am enjoying the feeling of health again.  So ... onward.   I do think this might become my way of life once again.  It feels that good.

So, to all of you, happy weekend!

Blessings,