Tuesday....back on the horse

It's sure been lovely having a nice long weekend with my husband. But it's Tuesday morning and time to get back on the horse, as they say. This morning, I'm thinking about:



1. My job search and how to implement a much more aggressive strategy
2. What will my next creative project be now that I'm finished with my sun surf tops
3. Gratitude and blessings
4. Houses
5. How do I take this time of unemployment and turn it in to something totally new and exciting for myself?
6. Our upcoming honeymoon
7. some new vegetarian dishes
8. altered clothing

This past weekend, we visited my parents and I came home with an armful of my favorite flower:



Breen is the Green Thumb Guru around here. Check out the avocado plant that he potted. We weren't sure if the seed would even take but now it has a 6 inch sprout! Holy Guacamole :)))

Was any one out there curious about the progress of my Helen chair??? Okay, okay....I'll show you. Check out the crown:

A weekend review

We've been enjoying a nice, long holiday weekend. Breen took off Friday and Monday which makes me a VERY happy girl!

This weekend, we took a little trip to New Hope:







Sure, it all looks like fun and games.....

until he put the quarter in.... :))))


I finished another Sun Surf Halter top:




But my craftiness just couldn't stop there. I took some of the leftover fabric and re-purposed an old jean skirt...fresh and adorable if I do say so myself :))

HMM...what else???

Fireworks in the park last night
A blueberry pancake breakfast made and served by Kendall this morning
Naps
Blue skies
Journal writing
Writing to my new Pen Pal
Pouring over magazines for more creative project ideas
Early dinner today with my parents
Attempting to clean the house
Lots of Breen and Jane alone time :)))

A sewing lesson for my life

Yesterday I had an interview. I thought it went pretty well but I'm not sure. They have several other candidates to interview and "they'll be in touch". This job market is a waiting game. I love to go on interviews because, even if I am not offered the job, it gives me a tremendous opportunity to sharpen my interview skills. One awareness that I had yesterday is that I crave more and more to be my own boss. I was interviewed by a woman who was not much older than me and I sat there thinking to myself:

a. I'm tired of being someone elses assistant all the time
b. If this woman owns a company, why couldn't I?

Every day keeps bringing me tiny pieces of awareness of what I don't want for my life. I may not know right now what it is that God intended for me but at least I can eliminate what doesn't work for me.

On the creative front, I am so excited that I cut my pattern for the Sun Surf Halter Top yesterday and I finished it this morning. It's not perfect but I love it just the same. I can see my sewing style emerging. This is only the second thing I've ever made from a pattern and for the most part, I'm self taught. I am coming to learn that although there is a general pattern to follow, it has to be modified to fit my style. Then I realized that my life is so much like that process; I always seem to seek ways to deviate ever so slightly from the generic pattern. Who knew I would learn another life lesson from a Pfaff sewing machine and a tissue paper pattern?! Go over here to see the finished top!

Wednesday Wishcasting,,,nurture

When my son was in kindergarten, the children made hearts out of clay for their mothers. I'm sure some of the moms put them in a box somewhere or even discarded them but for me, my son's heart is like the Hope Diamond. A finer gem could not be purchased for any amount of money. Every time I look at it, I am reminded of the simple and child-like qualities that are inside all of us. His heart also reminds me of the special joys of being a mother and the importance of nurturing our relationships with our kids. Ever since I've been home and out of work, I've been so hard on myself. I've been everything but nurturing. I'm trying to find all of my life's answers in one day. The harder I seek, the more elusive the answers become. But I've also noticed something else: every new day presents the chance to see the tiniest pieces of ourselves unearthed. We don't get the prize winning answer in one fell swoop; we get the tiny revelations. Many years ago, I participated in an Insight course. On the first night there, we were each handed a big clump of clay. Our task was to hold it in our hands and play with it for a while. Make shapes. Feel the soft material change and morph in to new directions. Finally, they asked us to dig in to the center of the clay. In the center of each persons clay was a gorgeous little crystal heart. Finding our truest passions is like sculpting that clay. The outside of ourselves changes many times over but our hearts are inside glistening and sparkling and just waiting to be excavated. So today, my wish and whole hearted intention is to

nurture my heart. I've experienced so many challenges over the years and through it all I have seen the tiny miracles and blessings manifest for me. There is still so much more to be revealed to me. I just need to keep nurturing myself much more and stop beating on myself. Little by little my true passions are becoming more visible. I am hearing the wisperings of my heart songs.

nurture my children. I want them to know and feel how strong, capable, loving and resilient they truly are.

nurture my marriage: I am so blessed beyond words for my husband. The world turned from shades of gray to vibrant, lush colors the day we found each other. I honor and support him for all he does and I am eternally grateful that he made us a partnership and a family.

Go OVER HERE to see what's cooking in my creative mind.

Seize the moments and seeing ourselves.....

Last night, Max came home from Chinese dinner with his father and gave me the above fortune. He really thought I would love it and of course I did! And then this morning, there was a motivational quote on my Igoogle page that referred to paying attention to each moment and how we use our energy in each moment. Since I've been home for the past few weeks, I find myself looking at the moments and seeing how fast a day goes. Am I using the moments wisely? Are there things I could be doing differently to achieve my desires? How much am I accomplishing as I juggle employment search, creativity, household chores and kid taxi? As I keep pushing on, I'm going to keep dedicating my moments for seeking my truth. Here are some things to ask:

Am I taking care of my body through exercise?
Am I taking care of my body through good nutrition?
Am I taking care of my spirit through quiet time and prayer?
Am I keeping up with my daily journal?
Am I setting my intentions for my desires?
Am I naming my gratitude?
Am I taking some risks to move out of my comfort zone?
What are the stories I'm telling about myself? Are they true? Do they serve me?

This weekend, I took some more self portraits. I haven't done this in a long time. There was a point when I took one daily for an entire year. I learned more about myself in that year than I could possible say. It's not about ego or getting attention from others. It's about seeing yourself in ways that you don't always acknowledge. We are often so hard on ourselves and we forget that we are vibrant and soft and sensual. I can't tell you how many times I make fun of myself because I think I'm still this skinny girl from my childhood with frizzy hair and a flat chest. Sometimes the old tapes play from my first marriage when I was given the message that I was not sexy or lovable. Nobody is going to come along with a magic wand and turn you in to the person you always wanted to be; you have to discover these things by yourself. What tapes are you still playing? When is the last time you took a picture of yourself?





FOR AN ART UPDATE GO OVER HERE.

Linger

The scent of you lingers
Long after the morning coffee
And the dirty dishes have been cleaned
Stop the clock
Turn back the hands
The bright sparkling sunshine
Illuminates the sheets
Our legs intertwine
Morning eyes meet
A few more minutes
To linger

Wishcasting Wednesday.....what do you wish to savour?

Another great Wishcasting Wednesday prompt! Just yesterday afternoon I was thinking about how busy and hectic life can be. Sometimes we forget that we are given the gift of just one moment, one minute, one hour, one day at a time. We go through our days fighting off stress at work, worries about future time and generally forgetting about living right in the moment. When I think about savouring, these are my wishes:

I would like to savor the feel of my husband's body curled near mine when we go to bed at night and wake up each morning. That's a gift and a blessing to have each other.

I would like to savour the moments when I feel deliciously creative; they don't always come easy.

I would like to savour the moments when I see my son with a genuine happy smile on his face; his happiness melts my heart.

I would like to savour each day that I'm here with my husband and children.

I would like to savour the feeling of pride and love when I see Breen's face as he crosses another finish line; it makes all the hours of training and early morning race starts worth every single minute.

I would like to savour the moments when I feel a close connection to God; that's a heartsong to me.

PS: Go on over here to check out today's apron :))))