Creative Chaos

Can you stand some more CHA.......

 
While sauntering around the convention center, I stumbled upon this booth....Webster Pages.   Remember my love for all things Webster this holiday season?  Oh, you don't...well, I did have a love affair with their paper last month and did project after project when I was supposed to be doing other things....like feeding my children and going to sleep.   The booth was set up like a little boutique showcasing all the paper in white frames mounted on the wall. 

 

I got to chat with the designer, Brandin, for awhile. Of course, it was mostly me babbling on and on about how much I love their paper......    

 
So the other funny thing that happened was when I was wandering around the show trying to look at all the booths, all the people and not run face first into a pole because I was attempting to look ahead at a make and take demonstration.  I noticed at one of the booths, cameras were recording an interview with this guy, Mark Montano........

Hmmmmm.....he looks so familiar.  Where do I know him from?  It was driving me insane.  I hate when I place a face but can't remember the location.  Uggg.....I move on to the the Art Glitter booth where I'm distracted enough to forget the whole memory game.  Later, Michelle, Randi and I were booth hopping (kinda like bar hopping without the booze) when I saw him walking down one of the aisle ways.  I point to the back of his head and his backpack and ask Michelle where in the heck do I know this guy from.  Not seeing his face she decides it must have been someone I dated in High School.   Ha ha ha....there's always got to be a funny guy in the group.  Unfortunately, that doesn't get me any closer to figuring out this guy's identity. Yes, I know he wrote this "Big Ass" book. Yes, I know he has something to do with crafts. Yes, I know that popular enough to be sitting on the front side of a camera.  The thing I can't figure out is where I know him from.

So later, while Michelle is taking care of some business I decide to go check out the Cricut Cake machine.  They are giving out cupcakes and there was no way I was missing out on a free sugar rush.  As I approach the booth, one of the apron-wearing, chef hat-bedecked demonstrators walks straight towards me.   OMG....she recognizes me from my tv appearance last month....No, she must have seen my video....She's a huge fan of creative chaos.....Yes, she is going to take me straight to the front of the line....like a VIP......Wait.....where is she taking me? The cupcakes are that way.......I want a cupcake......Then, before I know it, I'm standing in front of Mark Montano. Somehow I was segued away from the cupcakes and brought to his table for an autograph.   Hoping that maybe I could finally figure where in the heck I know him from I start rambling on about how "I thought you looked familiar"......""trying to place you"......"Driving me crazy"..... Realizing, I was sounding like an idiot to to the 10th degree, and, he was not at all interested in taking a trip down memory lane for my benefit, I scooted back over to Michelle and Randi showing off my autograph....

 

Somewhat impressed, she asked if I indeed dated him in high school.  No, I did not date him in high school.. However, it did turn out that I knew him after all.  Well, not personally.  After reading the back flap of the little booklet he autographed, I discovered where I recognized him from........ He was the host of TLC's "10 Years Younger."   Ahhhhh...I wasn't going crazy after all.  At least not today anyway. 

Turns out his book as been the number one selling craft book for the past year and he's quite well known in the crafting world.  Hmmmm....where have I been for the past year. 

Ok, tomorrow.....more info on Carol Duvall.  I've got it on good authority they are trying to bring her back!  Woo hoo.... 

CHA: The fun never ends.........

Well actually it did end as I'm sitting here back home in San Diego.  But I just keep reliving it in my head, to anyone who will listen to me (this does not include my family, though. They tuned me out two days ago) and on my blog.  So it seems like the fun is still going strong.

 
So, as soon as I got to CHA my first stop was the Melissa Frances booth.  She and I have been in touch over the past year sharing our feeling about belonging in this exclusive club called "I have breast cancer and it sucks big time."   I'm not sure if I mentioned it before (and I'm far to lazy to look it up to see if I did) but after taking her class back in 2008, I went home with a nagging feeling about my right breast. 

 
At the time, it had gone through a few physical changes which I have since come to find out are obvious signs of breast cancer.  I had already talked to my doctor, who assured me it was nothing to be concerned about. Ok. I trusted my doctor.   Big mistake.

Anyhow, before she started the class, she did a little PSA about her experience. The message worked its way from her mouth to my head and stayed with me bouncing around in the back of my skull until I went to get my mammogram.  I'm forever grateful for that class.  Not only did I have a great time....it helped save my life.

 

She says says she didn't. I say she did.  We decided to stop arguing about it and agree to disagree.  However, I just realized I can get the last word in on my blog.......It did!

 

 

When I met her back in 2008, her hair was short and just growing back in.   Now, I'm at the same spot.   Through the year, it was a comfort to talk to someone who had been through it and came out the other side smiling.  

 
 
 Thank you Melissa!

I went to CHA with the thought of meeting two people.....

One knew I was coming to see her........

 
(Melissa Francis and me at her booth. I'll tell you all about it in tomorrow's post!)

The other.....well, let's just say had she known how badly I wanted to see her, she probably could have legally taken out a restraining order on me.  As you can see from the picture below, thankfully, she didn't take court issued measures........

Ok....this is how it all happened.  Because, as you know, nothing is a simple uncomplicated story with me.

Monday morning started out as any normal morning should.  There was nothing in the air that would indicate that I was going to intersect with a dream come true.   I put on my walking shoes and packed my bag with chapstick, water, band aids and a simple wish.......to meet Carol Duvall.  I had it on good authority that she was at the Crafty Chica's booth on Sunday.  According Kathy Cano-Murillo's Facebook page, she sat and talked with her for awhile.  That was as good as gold in my book.   I told everybody that I knew, plus people that I didn't know, my only goal at CHA was to meet reigning Queen of Crafts.  Oh sure, there were going to be some new-fangled craft celebrities there.  But I wanted to meet the person responsible for paving the path of the craft resurgence.  The person who was fashioning bottle cap projects before it was hip or cool.   I wanted to meet Caroll Duvall. 

Let me just back track a bit so I can explain why Carol Duvall is so special to me.  Back when I was a little girl watching my tv with three channels and an antenna, and HGTV was a faraway fantasy that was on par with flying cars and colonies on mars, Carol Duvall would light up my screen demonstrating a craft or two at her little desk.  She was just excited as I would be fashioning things out of paper and basic household items.  With a little bit of glue and ingenuity she was able to fashion a paperclip, egg carton and a piece of string into a work of art.  She was recycling and reusing before it was hip.   Genius.   

When she went to the Home Show I followed.  When she was hosting her show on HGTV, I had a front row seat. She was like the neighbor next door who came over to have coffee with you.  She exuded a warmth and excitement over craft projects that made you feel like your love of felt and paint made sense. Every guest she brought out inevitably led me down a path of new ideas and techniques.  Let's be honest here, Mary O'Neil of Hot Potatoes is solely responsible for the resurgence of velvet in the mid 90's with her heat stamping technique. And who didn't make a little purse out of cigar box because of her show. Her guests made me believe that maybe, just maybe, I could do what I loved for a living.

So after wandering around CHA all day with Michelle, Helle and Randi keeping one eye open for a Carol spotting and the other eye on things like...........

Martha Stewart glitter!   

 

Webster Pages booth with the owner designer extraordinaire Brandin.  I'm going to do a whole post on this later!

 

Meeting up with Diane and her daughter from Melrose Vintage.  After gushing and fawning all over Diane telling her how much I love Melrose Vintage, how I want to go see it in person.....blah, blah, blah....she reminds me that she knows me from Paper Tales and reads my blog.   ACK!  She reads my blog!  The day just keeps getting better!

 

My badge.  I kept looking at it to make sure I was really there.......

 

Here's Randi doing a "make and take."  Or, as my friend Gail says "take and bake"........

 

These stamps by EK were great because of the way the stood up for storing.....

 
  
  
The Melissa Francis booth. The new stuff is great. Can't wait to get my hands on it. (More pictures tomorrow).....

 

While Michelle was doing actual work like buying product and talking to reps, I would wander away looking at all the product, people and creativity that was contained in one large building.

The day flew by in a flash and before we knew it, the May Art's ribbon rep was gently explaining that they were going to close the booth while we furiously kept writing stock numbers down for our favorite ribbon. 

Of course, I lamented about not getting to see Carol on the way out, all the way up to Michelle's room, and to Debbie Schuh when she joined us later in the room.  Sniff, sniff, boo hoo, whaaaaa...I didn't see Carol.  At that point, I seriously was going to take Michelle up on her offer to stay overnight.  Unfortunately I had to get home and realized that there was always next year.

A half an hour later Michelle, Debbie, Randi and I met up with Diane and her daughter and a few other people to meet for dinner.  We tossed around a few restaurant ideas finally deciding on The Cheesecake Factory......

Where apparently some genius thought it was a good idea to list the calories on the name card......which is just wrong on so many different levels.....

Anyway, as the other's were finishing drinks and heading back upstairs for warmer coats, I steered my group to the parking garage so we could head over to the restaurant and secure a table.   Almost to the van, I answer my phone to Michelle who is demanding to know where I am.  Thinking they changed their minds on where to eat, I briefly contemplate saying I'm at the Cheesecake Factory ordering the Chicken Marsala that I'm craving.  Instead, I say, "I'm in the garage."  

"Well you need to get back up here because Carol Duvall is standing outside the restaurant waiting to be seated!!!!" Apparently my incessant whining to Debbie paid off.   While the others in the group were chatting away, Debbie's eagle eye spotted Carol across the lobby.

I stood there as if a big huge purple genie popped out of a bottle and granted my wish. 

I did an immediate about face and ran back to the elevator to meet up with my group in the lobby.   We rushed back to where we were standing just mere moments ago discussing meal options while I frantically looked for Carol.  

I looked at Michelle who pointed across the room toward Carol Duvall. There she stood.......innocently waiting with her friends to be seated for dinner.  Unaware of the chaos that was about to befall her and her group in a few seconds. As I approached her, I swear I saw a couple of angels hovering above her head.....or, maybe it was just my imagination.....

Nevertheless, this was my one and only chance to profess my love and admiration for my idol.   So I did what any crazed nut job fan would do.....I went up to her blubbering on and on and on about "watching you forever"......"little project desk in Detroit"....."queen of crafts"......"wish you would have never left HGTV"...."oh, you didn't leave?"...."HGTV is an idiot" ...."will you take me home with you"......

At this point my whole group descended up her taking pictures and talking a mile a minute.....

As if my dream hadn't been realized right then and there.  As if meeting Carol Duvall wasn't enough of a slice of heaven for me.  I hear a familiar southern drawl that pinged back and forth in my head......OMG!!! It's Mary  O'Neil from Hot Potatoes!  Again, I start blubbering "Stamps"....."Velvet"....."I watched you all the time!"...."please take me home with you."........

The entire group from Carol, to Mary, to Carol's longtime producer Kelly Ehrlich could not have been more gracious, patient and kind to us.  Where some people may have called security (with good reason I might add), they were nothing but warm and friendly to our crazy little group.

At one point I turned to Michelle with tears in my eyes while she was taking a picture of me and Carol, and told her I was about to cry.  

It was such a perfect way to end a great trip.   So as you can see dreams do come true! 

   

 

Dreams really do come true........

I got to meet Carol Duvall. Life for me will never be the same.  

I'm back.....

 

Our plane touched down at 4:00 pm Michigan time.  After gathering our luggage, my mom and I hopped into our rental car and headed straight to the hospital.   As we entered Henry Ford Hospital, I thought I accidentally made a wrong turn somewhere and arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort.   The hospital at which she was staying is beautiful beyond words.  It was very comforting to know that her last days were in such a warm and nurturing environment.   We entered her room and my mom immediately went to give her a kiss, as I hugged my sisters, aunts and niece.  As gramma was lying in her bed, we were certain that she knew we were all there.  There were tears and laughter and talk of memories that spanned a 95 year lifetime.   

Gramma passed the next morning at 7:00 a.m.

Some say she was waiting for my mom to arrive. Others think the nonstop talking the night before did the poor woman in. She overheard we were all coming back the next day and thought to herself "Lord, God Almighty, just give me some peace and quiet." It will be a debate that will assuredly go on for generations to come. Either way, she spent the last days of her 95 years on this earth surrounded by family who loved her. Rest in Peace Gramma

After she passed, we did what any other loud large Polish midwestern family does......we ate......

 
 
we laughed......... we cried.........we ate some more......

 

 
  

 
we packed her belongings......... we told stories....... we ate more........
 

 

 
we reminisced about the past....... we laughed more....... we ate more......

 
   

 
 we hugged, we ate........ok, it was mostly me that ate......

However, I had many willing family members to particiapate with me......

 

It was a week of loss, love, family, tears and laughter.  That's really what life is about........isn't it?

 

Catch up with everyone in a week......

I'm catching a 6:30 am flight with my mom for Michigan this morning (it's 12:30am right now). My grandma, her mother, is in her last days of life.  It was a very "all of a sudden" thing.  We booked the flight yesterday and I'm still trying to figure out what clothes to bring for 30 degree weather when I am simultaneously freezing my butt off here in 60 degree weather. 

I'll be back in a week..........K  

Back to our regularly scheduled blog.......

 

1. The most darling altered art Valentine's box from my sweet blogland friend Natalie!, 2. To Be Myself collage, 3. Vintage Valentine Collage.., 4. Page in Vintage Hanky Book, 5. Vintage Valentine: Carnival Love!, 6. Vintage Cone, 7. Pink Valentine Roses, 8. The rose collection, 9. ♥Thinkin' Pink & Red♥, 10. Artful Thursday Week 2, 11. Sweet Shabby Baby Valentine Basket, 12. How does your garden grow?, 13. art heart swap, 14. petite inspiration swap, 15. Paper Romance project, 16. Pink Vintage Valentine Box, 17. Pink ornaments - old & new, 18. W is for Wishing, 19. Journal Page, 20. Journal Page

I rarely put anything political or religious on my blog......

but this time I could not contain myself.......

Pat Robertson's an ass.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/14/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6096806.shtml

I know somewhere in my bible there's a passage called "Thou shall hold thy tongue when babies and children are under piles of concrete debris and rubble." I think it's in the little known chapter of Revelations called "If you don't have anything nice or helpful to say then stay off the tv and shut up."

My husband and I have vastly different ways.........

of looking at organization.   For instance, I'm the type of person who likes to put up the lighting fixtures and curtains before the drywall has even been installed.  I don't understand why I need to finish organizing the shelves and removing loads of stuff off the counters before he installs the chandelier I want.  And, does it really matter if the wall leaks before we install new flooring? I mean come on....how often does it rain in San Diego?  So, needless to say, he has been hampering my progress on "Extreme Studio Makeover."  

 
As usual, whenever I start a project of this magnitude, I expect to be finished by dinner and working in my newly organized, thoughtfully appointed, creativity inspired studio by dessert.  And, as usual, it doesn't happen.  First, it's because a certain husband refuses to move the bench press and chopsaw out of my way until he sees that I've organized the part of the garage to which I have access.  Ugggg.....some people have no creative vision.   Plus, he has to work all day.  Double ugg..... 

 
So, consequently, I am forced to do something I've never done before.   I work in steps.  I actually tell myself that not only is it not going to get done in one day.....that it may even take a week....or, God forbid, a month.  

Suddenly I'm relieved. Instead of carrying the delusion of an impossible task on my shoulders the whole time I'm working and the inevitable feeling of failure because I'm not creating spectacular art by the end of the day, I go to bed satisfied that my Halloween supplies are sitting on a dusted and clean accessible shelf.

So here are my suggestions for easy and productive organization. You will need a couple things to get started.  A piece of paper, pen and bag of chocolate.

Take pen and write on piece of paper that the only goal for the day is to clean off two shelves and move two boxes to those shelves.

 
Reward yourself for your initiative with a piece of chocolate.

 

Clean shelves and move boxes.

 
While sitting back and admiring all your hard work, savor another piece of chocolate.

 
Go back for third piece of chocolate since you moved two boxes.

 
Have a couple more pieces in just in case you go back for a third box. 

Conclude that you don't want to stress yourself out with insurmountable goals on the first day and decide against moving third box.

Cross "move two boxes" off your to-do list and reward yourself with the bag of chocolate.

Revel in the fact you accomplished everything you set out to do and call it a day. 

Hope this helps! 

Lights....Camera....Action.......

In between all the Christmas "Hub Bub," I forgot to mention that  Michelle and I were on tv.......

 

First, however, I want to thank everyone for all the well wishes on my last treatment. I'm still emailing out personal thank you's to everyone.   It was a mixture of exciting, weird, happy, sad and hopeful all at the same time.  I'm really looking forward to 2010 for many reasons.  I have quite a few things on my to do list, some of which I have already started.   I know this sounds so trite and cliche but I really want to live each day with purpose.  Some days that purpose may be nothing more than trying to beat my personal best on the Shooting Range game on the wii, while other days will have more substance by spending time with my family.  

One of the things that happens when the security blanket of treatment is over is that the impending fear of a reoccurance sneaks around every corner trying to frighten you.  In order to combat this fear, I  just think how I want to look back on my life when and if that happens.  I would hate to be consumed with paralyzing fear and waste twenty years of my life on the notion it might come back tomorrow.  And if it does come back in two years, I want to know that it was two good years without regret.   

So over the next year I'm going to take more chances.....say yes to challenges I normally would've shied away from.....say no to things that waste my time (just for the record, watching Judge Judy will not be one of them).......do more art.....catch up the lost time with Cosme and my boys and, mostly, be thankful that I get to be around for one more day.  

So, anyhow, as I was saying before, Michelle and I were on tv promoting Paper Tales.......   

It was early evening back in December when the phone rang with the opportunity of fame and fortune.  

Michelle asks, "Hey, do you want to go on tv with me to demonstrate how to do your snowflake ornament?" I take a few moments to let it all sink in. Oprah?  Live with Regis and Kelly?  CNN?  For a brief moment, I have an image of me walking down a red carpet in a very fancy dress.  I inquire about the details, "what are they offering?  Do they want to go with a contract?  Do we get our own dressing rooms and a stylist?   What about transportation? Are they picking us up in a limo or are they giving us company cars?"  Michelle interrupts me midstream, "They are giving us five minutes and a table with a tablecloth." Immediately reply  "Yes!"

It turns out it was the local tv station here in San Diego.  Michelle had done a segment before and they had asked her to be on once again.

Our friend Dana came along for moral support and humor...

We had a great time and made the best of a very disorganized situation.   Let's just say it was an "elf" and the Lego representative who showed us where to go when they came upon us in the lobby.  And, if it weren't for Michelle knowing what to do from her prior visit, I would still be standing there in the hallway  with a snowflake in my hand waiting for my turn to go on air.   I'm almost positive that wouldn't have happened if we were on Live with Regis and Kelly. 

In the meantime, I've been planning someones 5th Birthday.....

He was so excited to be turning five years old.  Everyday, for weeks beforehand, we would methodically cross off each day on the calendar.  We made the usual batch of cupcakes for his preschool class......

He said "I fink everyone gonna love them....even the girls."

Then that night we brought out the big cake and presents.  This cake takes me a step closer to recreating the childhood memories I have of Sander's Devil's Food Buttercream Layer Cake (now known as Bumpy Cake).  Any of you reading this who grew up, live or lived in Michigan know what I'm talking about.  I have the melt in your mouth buttercream down.  Now I'm trying to figure out the chocolate icing part out.  I think I came very close with a chocolate ganache, but it still isn't quite there..... 

 

Yesterday, he said "I miss my four years old."  I asked him what he possibly could have missed out on his fourth year.  He said "I like my five but I really miss my four." 

So as you can see from the picture above, we've been eating cake all weekend.  Luckily, the weather has been beautiful so we've been able to go out and get some exercise.  WARNING:  if you live in the Midwest and are buried under snow you may not want to view these pictures.

 

Someone got all the Wimpy Kid books for Christmas and was buried in the pages.......
  

Some people were busy putting their new Lego set together......

And some people are still trying to climb their way out of a mountain of mess in their studio.....

Progress has been made.  But it's been slow going.  I can't get ready for any new classes until I clean off a space in which to work.  I'll keep you updated.......