the secret of small

speaking of small, how about this golden walnut sewing kit in all of it's palm sized lovliness. i found this tiny walnut wading through a tin of buttons. after doing some brief research i found that they may be quite common. i saw an auction on ebay for a green one that was going for over a hundred dollars. how outrageous!!! i am looking forward to the weekend. gearing up for the secrets, the anticipation, the seeking out the small informal but meaningful gifts for the rest on my list.

out of focus motion

i am on my way, checking off things from the list. last night i actually accomplished more than i thought i would. shopping wasn't stessful or overwhelming at all. i came home with time to spare or maybe just a hot chocolate buzz and wrapped the gifts that were purchased. i feel my eyes bunching up and the corners of them growing scratchy, i suppose i'm tired, i can't do anything about it though. i still have some christmas cards to send out, presents to purchase and wrap, granola and spice cookies to make. then i will be through.

going to print

to be a child again. to sip and slurp. to taste life in a new way everyday with innocence and passion. one of my favorite moments with josiah was this past saturday at the creative discovery. we happen to stay on the first floor because to his delight the musical instruments are in abundance and in wide variety. together we found the microphone and proceeded to record the first track on his solo achievement, 'i've been working on the railroad.' we tried it with the echo, with effects, and noises, we even manipulated our voices into the sweetest robotic voices ever. josiah singles out the notes right on tune, taking after his very talented grandpa and mother. i see his freshman work becoming a tribute to the old classics, it'll blow us away, one day.

i managed to get a few of my christmas cards out into the postal service this morning, as i headed off to the workforce here. it's not like i'm a bluecollar. i'm one of the scrubs, in black and chinese flipflops. tonight i've got to finish my end of the deal and get cards to the printers {a.k.a. kinkos}. i can't wait to see my paper quilt series in print. cannot wait to bundle and sell them hopefully one day on etsy. cannot wait to see them in blueskies and in the hands of my friends and family.

the other night out in chickamauga the girls and i were all talking about t-shirts...here are the options: another list of christmas shopping potential(s).

1. Oddica

2. Day-Lab

3. Bella Muse

4. this isn't a t-shirt avenue but you may find some very cool things for husband/baby/toddler or yourself. love the colors! love the shapes! checkout BUILTNY

5. Little Paper Airplanes

6. Elsewares

7. Sam Flores

8. threadless

in other news i have gotten 6 pieces off to the printers, last night, cards galore! i hope they turn out nicely, i waived proofing them, i have to work and they weren't going to let me wait for them last night, such a bummer! i'll go sometime mid-day today to pick them up. i've got to buckle down, research the whole of printing companies....agha! s.o.s!!!!

and i must give a hearty shout out to jennifer kring of tumbleweed creations for her help in making my ornaments for the ornament swap. it has become a swap/trade within a swap. the small or large collabrative effort was nice. she expressed interest in the swap but missed the deadline, so here's to jen...thanks a bunch.

strength to remember

sometimes a break from blogging leaves the door open to other things, like actually working or talking or following the news of one family's tragedy or the iraq report and gwb's response. i spent monday night with kate. wednesday with jen.

here at the end of the year i have really begun to feel immediately gratifide and blessed. this past summer was somewhat and maybe not so obviously, difficult for me. in the last week i have been surprised by how much friends can remind you of what you have. not just the friendship itself, because i am always grateful for good conversation, commonground, artistic therapy and critique. but in the simple parts of relating this week with two very special women i found strength to get up and go to work, to make the coffee, to make the postcards, to swap for ornaments, to smile in the midst of frustrating traffic, to pull out the sewing machine again, to be inspired and to love the blue sky, love the doctor's i work for, even though 'one of them' thinks it'd be funny if i dressed up like an elf for the christmas party. haha! i'm a little bit more than a tad sensitive about my small stature, being cute, just doesn't cut it...anyway. there is still love.

i was surprised that kate thought of how i could easily make a button wreath {i like carolyn's!}, afterall i have thousands and thousands. it would be easy and i might, because they look so beautiful. kate reminds me that making wholesome food like granola and spice cookies are good, fun things to do at night while sipping on some cocoa. i mean we didn't have to talk about these things for me to be reminded to add the ideas to my christmas list of things to do. jen reminded me of christmas cookies too! and the importance of excercising, starting at the ymca at the beginning of the year. eating healthy and wrapping presents in brown paper with pretty red stencils. my friends remind me that making excellant meaningful art is really really important. that being with family is the very best thing in the world.

i mean i haven't even decorated for christmas yet. jen made the sweet polka dot garland and kate is doing the jessie tree with her children. wow! i love my friends so much. i have off this weekend and everything is up in the air, but i'll be sure to be productive...