Happy Mail 2

I have been called on the carpet for not updating my blog.  Apparently someone actually reads it... and wants to hear from me.  Maybe someone who is a little homesick.  Someone whose postcard just arrived today:

I just love getting "Royal Mail!" This one sure made me smile.

Picture Inspiration 3/52

"Motif"

detail on our fireplace

close-up of wicker medicine cabinet

drapes in studio and office.  In my mind paisley is the quintessential "motif".  And I fell in love with this fabric.  My design of the studio and office was based around this fabric! 

This material is IMPOSSIBLE to photograph!  When you see the drapes from a distance, the overall color is decidedly a sort of olive green.  But it also has french blue, bronze, and ivory.  And a scattered floral in an irridescent thread that you can see clearly in the upper left, but for some reason is showing up as black in the lower right corner.  There is no black in this fabric!

I photographed in natural light (sun not very strong) with no flash.  Any of you photographers have any ideas on how I might capture the true color of this?

Pass The Book - the Winner

Here's the book that is up for grabs.  I had five comments indicating an interest in having the book. 

I numbered them in the order they were posted:

1. Melissa
2. Jacky
3. Amy
4. Deb
5. Alexa

Then I went to random.org to find the winner.  Okay, I know - totally NOT creative.  But I want to get the winner posted.  And I need to leave for the gym.  Like NOW.  So here goes.  The winner is...

Number FIVE!!! Which is Alexa.  So Alexa, please send me an email with your full name and mailing address to scrapdreams at verizon dot net.  I'll get the book right out to you! :)

And now, I have a date with a treadmill and a few weight machines!

Happy Mail

One month to the day after Deb posted the lovely video showing that I won this round of "Pass the Book" guess what finally arrived in the mail?!!  Can you believe it has been a full month already?!!

I was so excited I started ripping the paper before I thought to snap a picture.  But I carefully put it back and got the photo...

and then tore in!

I ADORE the card Deb made me - which is now hanging on the bulletin board right above my computer and can't wait to delve into the book - but not right this moment. A few other things on my plate first!

Project Simplify - Week 1

Project Simplify is a five week decluttering challenge.  Week One started yesterday, so it is not too late to join in.  You can read all about Project Simplify by clicking on either one of the links.

Week One's project is your wardrobe and/or closet.  This is something I had been working on since last Summer, slowly weeding out clothing that I never wear, that no longer fits, is out of style, was a case of buyer's remorse, etc.  Slowly getting my closet down to things I actually wear.  So I had a good head start on this project.

Here is the "before" photo of my side of the closet.  And considering all of the weeding out I had already done, my closet didn't look too bad!

Unfortunately, I didn't realize when I snapped this that half of my sweaters were downstairs hanging in the laundry room.  And I had already pulled a bunch of stuff from the closet before I went and got the sweaters!

And this is the "After Photo" overall view of the closet.  Minus several pair of shoes.  That bag of clothing is summer shorts and pajamas.  That will be reevaluated when summer gets here!

"Before" close up of the clothing, not including the sweaters that were in the laundry room.

"After" close up of the clothing.  Things are sorted by how often I need to get to them.  Right now Winter sweaters are near the front.  When the weather changes, the summer tops come forward and the winter sweaters go to the back of the closet.  In the far back, in bags - my wedding dress and all three girls christening gowns.

I found it very serendipitous that at the time this closet exercise comes up, I am reading this in Simple Abundance:  "Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have." - quote from Doris Mortman.

In fact, the next several days of essays are about how you look, the image you project, and being authentic.  And the tips for implementing the closet exercise on Project Simplify play right into this.  One of the questions was about your best colors - my closet is full of my best colors.  Any guesses what they are? 

I have also learned what colors are not my best colors.  For instance, with work clothes I always thought I needed/wanted variety.  Basic dress colors - black, grey, navy, brown.  But when I pull pants out of my closet to get dressed for work, I always choose black or grey.  On the rare occasions that I've worn navy or brown, I feel really uncomfortable.  And since I am only in the office one or two days a week, I really don't need many choices.  Hence this:

These were the clothes I added to the Goodwill pile today. Dress slacks in navy and brown, a dress jacket in brown, a bunch of blouses I haven't worn in at least two years.  Despite all the paring down I've been doing, I was still able to find more that didn't need to be taking up space in my closet.

A couple of other projects I've done within the last few weeks:

I tossed a lot of makeup that was old or that I didn't use.  This is it now.  All the makeup I own in this one little organizer!

I also pared down my jewelry, getting rid of a lot of costume jewelry that I never wear.  Aside from a couple strands of pearls, this is every necklace I now own... hung on the dresser mirror where I can actually see them and choose from them each day.  The hooks are the Command Hooks by 3M that come off cleanly - the idea was Sarah's - it is how she organizes her jewelry at school!

A close-up of some of the jewelry that survived the cut.  Since many of these have sentimental value, having them displayed this way really makes me HAPPY!

Pass The Book

I have a book ready to be passed on - doing this one Sian style (click the link for all the info).

The book is:

Creative Time and Space by Rice Freeman-Zachery.  Photo from Amazon.com.

Creative Time and Space utilizes interviews with and photographs from fourteen artists who earn their living from their art.  It discusses from these artists' points of view how they each make time in their lives for their art, whether they schedule or free-flow their creative time, how they set up their studios, etc.

To be quite honest, I found the style of writing - small excerpts from interviews with each artist - to be a bit ho-hum and tedious, especially in the first five chapters which focus on various aspects of time and scheduling.  But the book redeemed itself in chapters 6 and 7 about "mental space" and "soul space" respectively.  The chapter on Soul Space discusses the importance of "play" to creativity and has a bit about keeping journals and how that practice can factor into creativity and art.  I'll be re-reading that while you all are putting in your bids to get the book!

The book's greatest strength is the photographs. The contributors make some awesome art pieces! Everything from beading and painting to sculpture, art quilting, and clothing design is included.

Who would like this book?  You would if:

• you are inspired by the work of other artists - this book is chock FULL of beautiful photographs!
• you are considering turning your artistic talents into a business and would like to hear how it has worked for other working artists.
• you want ideas or insights into how others create TIME for expressing their creativity
• you want ideas or insights into how others set up their creative SPACE - yes, studio photos are included.

If you would like a chance to have this book, please leave me a comment letting me know you want it! I will draw a name from all the commenters on the morning of Friday, March 11 and post the winner here on my blog.  All I ask if you want to play is that you agree to pass the book on when you are done! :)

So who wants it???

First Friday Fitness - March Edition

February was a really tough month for me.  I battled gaining and losing the same stinking two pounds the entire month.  Up one week, down the next, then back up... all month long. 

And I was so NOT motivated.  I didn't want to go to the gym, and for the most part I didn't.  I scheduled an appointment with my personal trainer, Lori,  for Friday the 18th.  And then fell down the stairs on Tuesday the 15th and sprained my ankle. 

Despite the total lack of motivation and sprained ankle, something deep down held it together (don't ask me what, I'm still trying to figure it out!) and I went to the appointment.  I have incorporated some of Lori's exercises into my regular "routine" here at home.  Tricep dips off the window bench.  Standing push ups off the kitchen counter. Leg lifts that seriously make my gluts burn.  And some of it is just for the gym.  The inner thigh machine, hamstring curls, lat pull downs, rows... but I wasn't going to the gym, so I wasn't doing so much of those.

Then came March.  And something clicked.  Maybe it was the sunshine.  Maybe it was Ali Edward's assignment for One Little Word to do "just One Little Thing" for March.  Maybe it was that email from Kai.  Whatever it was, I felt hope for the first time in weeks.  I decided that my "one little thing" would be to make exercise and creativity a priority in March. Okay, that's TWO things. Yes, I can count. Two BIG things. So sue me. It is where I need to be right now.

And then came today - weigh in day.  Let me start by saying, I know that the number on the scale doesn't really matter. And I'm not obsessive about it. At least not usually. But after a month of up and down and up again, I was so nervous about what the scale would say, that I went a bit off the deep end. 

I shaved my legs. I trimmed my finger nails. I tinkled. Twice. Hey, water weight you know. Have you ever tried any of these tricks?  I would have taken off all my jewelry had I been wearing any. And as I stepped on the scale, I exhaled every ounce of air out of my lungs.  And seriously, I know none of this makes a bit of difference.  Because my scale weighs in half pound increments, not in ounces. 

 Measurements are all the same as February's weigh-in, but I am down two pounds from February's weigh in.  I didn't reach my goal of the downside of 170, but I am soooooooo close! So stinking close I can taste it.

And as the big 5-0 looms ever closer, I want to give myself a huge gift for my birthday.  I want to weigh less than my hubby. The man is disgustingly healthy despite a penchant for chips and cookies. If his weight climbs, he lays off the junk for a few days and is back to where he needs to be. Don't you just hate that? I do! He is a solid 6" taller than me, but weighs in at 165. On my birthday I WILL weigh less than him! Just under three months.  I know I can get there.