Creative Chaos

Wow.......wee........

I am just blown away at the response to this Valentine Giveaway.  I did it on a whim and am so surprised how it has spread like wildfire.  What a blast!  I was thinking when I posted my givings I would be pulling two names out of the hat....my husband's and someone I made up...like Myrtle McFarland or something.  The outcome would have been pretty anticlimatic..."Honey, look, Mrytle won!!!! Oh wait. I forgot. I made her up so people would think someone entered and read my blog. Nevermind."   

So in light of all the awesome responses, I am added another pair of earrings that I whipped up last night to throw into the giveaway frenzy. I will pull two names on Friday!   Speaking of pulling names....I am soooo hoping lady luck plops her butt down on my couch Friday,  because I am entered in some really good offerings!  Oh boy, there are soooo many talented artists and crafters out there.  I am going to be really busy the next couple days adding links to my blog. 

Thank you to everybody who has stopped by......please don't be a stranger!

Valentine Giveaway........

I was over at Stephanie's blog and she is participating in a Valentine giveaway started by Arttealife. She is giving away two pieces of art and encouraged others to do the same. I thought that sounded like a bunch of fun. So I said.... SURE! I want to do it to.  I then continued to lollyblog over to other blogs.....then realized I better get over to my blog and post the pictures of what I want to give away for Valentine's Day before fellow bloggers come over looking for a giveaway. I don't suppose folks would just trust that I have something to give away...I thought that they might like to see it.  So here it is.....two valentine ornamnents and a pair of handcrafted earrings from yours truly.   Just leave a comment in the comment section and on Friday, February 2, I will pick out a name.   Ok....now I am going to head on over to the other blogs. 

Guess who's fooling around with her new banner.......

Oh boy......This is dangerous.  I told myself that I wasn't going to upgrade just so I could get a fancy schmancy banner like everyone else has.  I told myself simple is good.  Simple is in.  Well, I cracked like an egg against the pavement.  I lasted two months.  But, I can already see problems on the horizon.  I am not a person to be satisfied with just one banner. Oh, no not when there are so many banner options to be had. I already changed it twice. And, I am already planning a new one.   I would link to some really great banners that I love.  But I have no idea how to do a a link where I put the name in the post and then it links to the person's blog.   If anyone knows how to do this....please let me know...pretty please.  Here's the first banner I did.  I then, of course had to change everything else to pink to match.   I think I like the pink for now.  But we'll see.   Like I said.....this is dangerous. 

A Day of Painting.......

I spent an entire day painting.   Yep.  Just me and my paint brush.  Ok.....it wasn't exactly art.  It was painting primer on cabinets in our rental unit.  However, there was a whole lotta "I 'll take what I can get" in that apartment yesterday.  Even though it was simply primer on shelves, I did not let that stop me from making a statement with paint.  I wanted the primer to represent the struggle of the artist trying to stake out her way in life......  I wanted it to show how art on an individual level can affect the world as a whole ......I wanted the new renter to look at the cabinets and feel a sense of artistic ingenuity.......... Unfortunately, my husband didn't share the same artistic vision that I did when it came to painting.  I believe his comments were somewhere along the line of "it's just primer", "get a move on" and "time's a wastin'" .....dreamcrusher..........

Carlos wanted to help in the painting.  He got to paint the back of a closet door and the inside of the upper closet.  He was quite excited to get to sit inside the closet while painting and wanted to know if he could sleep in there that night.  We said no. 

 

Studio Friday....that always seems to turn into Studio Saturday.......

When I read the topic this week, I thought "they can read my mind".   Seriously.   The night before I read about the topic, my husband and I were just discussing the hows & whats of my "studio".  Currently I am in the dining room, turned office, turned jewelry making/crafting wannabe space.  It's not working. After attempting to organize my space for the thousandth time,  I finally realized that what I really need is space to work and create.  I can organize my space to 10th degree, but if I don't have a space to work, what's the point.  I formerly occupied one of the bays of our 4 car garage.  It's now being used as a storage space by my husband.   He wants to finish what we started 2 years ago when we began to refurbish it as my studio.  But the reality is I still need to be in the house where the kids are so that I can squeeze more time in between naps and video watching and such.   

The picture above is from Jo Packman's "Where Women Create"  (Disclaimer:  I have no idea if this is legal for me to be posting these pictures.  If you can no longer access my blog after today, it means I am entangled in a nasty copyright battle and you can speak with me through my team of lawyers)  Oh ....how I love that book. I still remember they day I received it and how I slowly turned each page drinking in each and every wonderous space. I actually keep it bedside so I can thumb through it and later have sweet dreams of myself creating beautiful baubles and gifts in my perfectly appointed dream studio.   

I love this next picture.  I love the way space doesn't limit this artist from being creative and creating her art.   The profile of this artist spoke directly to my inner procrastinator which is usually saying something like: "when I have the perfect space to create, I will be creative."  But that isn't true.  Creativity isn't based on the size of your physical space.  It's based on your determination to create.  So, as lovely as the rooms in the book are, and how I covet each and every one of them, I realize that that beautiful spaces are frosting on the cake of art.   

Saying Thanks.......

My attempt at thank you cards.   I kind of like it. The thank you is stamped on a hand dyed silk ribbon.   I just wish I had a bit more time to work on it.  The same person who, as I type, brought all his geo track trains to my desk and is now attempting to drive them back and forth where my arms rest in order to type this post, prevented me from getting more than two cards done this afternoon.   Slow and steady.  I should have all Christmas gift thank you cards done by Easter. 

The Great Blackout of 2007

Well, I guess it wasn't  exactly the Great Blackout of 2007 being as it never even made the news nor newspaper as to what happened.   Luckily for us, we were prepared with a fire in the fireplace in anticipation of a cozy Friday night at home.   I was in the process of removing my contacts when suddenly the light blinked and then went out.  My six year old panicked, my 2 year old started laughing, my husband went into emergency response mode, and, I stood there in the pitch black with a contact lens perched precariously on my finger.   After hoping that my contact found it's way into my lens case, I made my way down the hall to the living room.  I lit all the candles on the mantle and assessed the situation.  No electricity.  The whole neighborhood was dark.   Cosme went out and talked to the neighbors.  Made sure everyone had a flashlight.   I stayed with the boys while they held vigil at the window awaiting his return.  After all the hoopla wore off, we settled in for a very quiet and dark Friday night.  The boys sat on the couch while Cosme read them the latest installment of Lego's Knight's Adventure.  I cuddled up on the chair armed with a flashlight and read my book. But as I sat there feeling like Laura Ingalls Wilder (albeit a warm Laura Ingalls Wilder, as we have a gas furnace) I couldn't help but think of how they lived without electricity and all the comforts of what we know as home.   One of the things that struck me the most was not so much the lack of lights, but the lack of communication.   As I sat there with my family, I realized why families were so close.  There was no other form of communication except writing a letter.  Or maybe in a rare emergency, the telegraph.   It was simple back then.  You were with who you were with and there were no distractions.   No cellphoning someone while you were plowing the fields.  No shooting off emails while you waiting for the bread to rise.   No lamenting the fact that you had sooo many phone calls to return while bathing the baby.....in a big pot......in the middle of the one room house.....   

Anyway, the only time you talked to a person was when you were facing them on the off chance that you saw them, or when you had methodically made plans to meet them.  That was it.  Those were the only two options.  I find it fascinating to ponder how far we have come when it comes to communicating with each other.  But I can't help but think that since it is so easy for us....do we take it for granted that we are able to talk to each other with a push of a button or keyboard key? Do we really listen to each other when we are distracted by cell phone calls and emails we need to return? Sometimes I think the plethora of ways TO communicate has taken away the ABILITY to communicate.   

As I sat there all snuggled up with my family I realized how much more relaxed I was without the tug of my self imposed to do list.  I wasn't able to do any of it.  And that was ok.   Maybe we need to have blackouts more often. 

Oh, the places you will go........

I was thinking about this topic for the past few days.  When I first read it, I somewhat panicked.  Travels? Travels to places...... Wait a minute. I don't travel anymore.  Well, not unless, of course, you count my 8 minute commute to Carlos'  school or my travels to the grocery store and Target (does drinking a "Dolce con Leche" coffee while grocery shopping count as an "exotic" travel?).  I then pondered the idea of traveling back in time a couple of weeks ago to the Studio Friday topic of White.  Yes. White. White is good.  I can do that. 

But, then, I got to thinking.  Wait a minute.....I do travel.  As a matter of fact I travel almost every day.  Just for instance, yesterday, I traveled to the brink of insanity and back when I was trying to find a certain child's shoes who was still in his underwear while late for school with a  2 year old crying in the background. There are also other places I travel. Places that are a bit more pleasant......For example, here is a picture of my daily jaunt to  "Geo Track Land"

And then there is the "Island of Sodor"

We are also frequent visitors at the "Bear's Big Blue House"

So, although, these days my travel is limited, my kids provide me with inspiration everyday.  As the youngest is getting older, I can see more trips to Baja and other surrounding states in the near future.  So in the meantime I will travel via blogs to other folks more "exotic" travels. 

New Year Resolutions 2007: Hauntingly familiar yet, oh so new at the same time.....

Ok. So, it’s the New Year. As usual, I feel revigorated, inspired and ready to conquer the world. And, as usual, I pulled out the previous New Years list in which to refer in writing the "new" New Year's list. No sense in making up a new resolution list when last years is there ready and willing. No reason to reinvent the wheel here. Waste not want not I always say.......

It's hopeless.  But I do have big plans for this year.  Really, I do.  Here is a sample of my resolution list:

1. Get organized (circa. 1996)

2. Stop procrastinating (circa. 1970)

3. Watch less tv (circa. invention of HGTV)

4. Learn Spanish (circa. Meeting of spanish speaking husband 17 years ago)

5. Get more exercise (circa. birth of children)

6. Return calls promptly (circa. invention of answering machines)

7. Stick to New Year's resolutions (circa. first year I started writing them.)

So this year I'm not writing a list.  I am going to go with what I know I need to do and just get it done.  And,  most of all have some patience.

Ok. So, it’s the New Year. As usual, I feel revigorated, inspired and ready to conquer the world. And, as usual, I pulled out the previous New Years list in which to refer in writing the "new" New Year's list. No sense in making up a new resolution list when last years is there ready and willing. No reason to reinvent the wheel here. Waste not want not I always say.......

It's hopeless.  But I do have big plans for this year.  Really, I do.  Here is a sample of my resolution list:

1. Get organized (circa. 1996)

2. Stop procrastinating (circa. 1970)

3. Watch less tv (circa. invention of HGTV)

4. Learn Spanish (circa. Meeting of spanish speaking husband 17 years ago)

5. Get more exercise (circa. birth of children)

6. Return calls promptly (circa. invention of answering machines)

7. Stick to New Year's resolutions (circa. first year I started writing them.)

So this year I'm not writing a list.  I am going to go with what I know I need to do and just get it done.  And,  most of all have some patience.

Christmas gift cleverly disguised as a New Year's gift.....

Pretty tricky, eh?  I like to think this works everytime.  But I know it doesn't.  At least my Christmas cards went out on time.  New Year's Resolution is to work on blog more consistently and work on jewelry.  Off to Los Angeles for the next few days......