when stuck in neutral…

I am sure I’m not the only one this happens to- when I’ve not been creative in a while, well… it’s hard for me to get started back up again. My normal routine is to be creative for 1-4hrs on any given day. Even if it’s just a short bit- most every day I do create. So… any more than 4 days or so OFF and my brain starts rusting! ack! Generally it’s just that FIRST project back on the job that is hardest, and today marks day #2 that I’m trying to get something going!

This is what I do: sit and look at supplies, photos, etc. and get inspired. BUT my brain refuses to engage with something. It’s like I’m stuck in neutral. Solution? Just hand myself something to copy, lift, or otherwise create without using much creativity on my own.

Today’s solution is a pattern from Heather Bailey that just came today. PERFECT! I can work on cutting fabric and making a cute pincushion to get my brain working creatively once again. Fun stuff for sure, and I’ll be to share my success (or failure!) soon as I can.

bad book aftertase is not a good thing.

Ok, if you know me at all then you know I love reading books. It’s as much a part of my life as crafting is… well almost. I’m especially drawn to happy (sometimes fluffy…) girlie books. I know, not the deepest reading but it’s got zero calories, so it’s better for me than sweets. (ha!) I also dabble some in action/mystery/adventure… but only on my terms which would make no sense to anyone else. Anyhow, recently I was convinced that I must read the “bubbles” series from Sarah Strohmeyer.

I’ve been immersed in Bubbles (yeah, that’s her name) world of Lehigh, PA for about 2 weeks now and have finished all six books. My verdict? If you’re a mystery fan- especially if you’re a Stephanie Plum fan- then you’ll probably love books 1-5. Yes, I said the first five. They all are super funny, fun, full of adventure and danger and truly left me feeling satisfied at the end of each.

In book six I was on edge throughout. It was very stressful to have so many things turned upside down, but I persevered knowing that at the end I *must* get rewarded with some good… I did not. When there were only about 10 pages left in the book I had an uh-oh moment where I knew it couldn’t possibly wrap up, and it didn’t. I was left with a “what the &#*$&@” reaction and very unhappy. Ugh. And, since it’s been about 2 years since that book released I’m going to venture a guess that the series is done and over. Double ugh. I’m going to mentally change the ending for my own peace of mind and pretend book 6 didn’t ever happen.

I’m going to craft the afternoon away and hope to erase the bad book aftertaste from my brain (shudder). I’ll be back with crafting, fun, and good times…

What a day, first to the dentist… oh the dread. Good news? It was cracked filling, not tooth. So 3 shots (cringe), and 45min of fix-up later and I’m good as new. Well, almost. My face was numb up into my nose until about an hour ago, and the tooth being worked on still is all sore and angry… but it was the best case scenario, so I’m good.

Next? Dreaded interaction with dude from window company. I’ll just say that he listed my name on the quote sheet as “may scum” (not may flaum) and that pretty much set up that meeting.

Then? Internet went out. NOOOOOO!!!! But the weird thing is the other computer is on-line. So I asked for help (clicked the “why can’t I connect?” button) and it told me that I had probably pushed a button that disabled it’s ability to connect. Huh. Well it was right, and here I am back on-line 4hrs later!!!

Enough of the blah of the day, here’s some cuteness:

She asked “mommy was this ‘berry’ difficult?” so cute. So I didn’t make the actual skirt and shirt, but I embellished them, and it was easy!!! Thanks to Lisa who clued me in to heat ‘n bond. Think iron-on adhesive so you don’t have to pin and it keeps the fabric right where you want it and it can’t curl up on you. I couldn’t have done this without it, and I feel like a big mystery has been solved.

Silly girl! Anyhow, this was a total EASY sewing project, and I’m inspired to do more with the fabric in my closet + plain T-shirts. I did add aqua embroidery thread on a few black leaves + I added a button eye to the birdie. Just a little extra fun for a shirt that is one of a kind.

Spinach pasta shells are for dinner… better get cooking!

cracks

First off, thank you for all the kind words and support. The week away was not easy, but good to do and I’m itching to get back into a semi-normal routine. First I’ve got some fixes to do:

1. Our front (BIG) window cracked on the inside pane. SO WEIRD. I was sitting there, then heard a noise, opened the blinds and there was the crack top to bottom- we watched it grow and finish! EEK! So that “look into replacing windows” task has become priority #1 in this house.

2. Then, last night I cracked my molar. Have to go in tomorrow AM and get it checked out for a fix/severity of issue. good times? I think not.

So that’s it. 2 cracks to fix and I’ll be back to my near-daily blogging routine. Hope you had a great weekend, I know I’m glad to have a fresh week…

family time off.

I will be back on/around September 9th. I am going off-line, and will be with my sister and family. This morning our grandfather- also known as santa, and teller of many bad jokes passed away. He was probably the best grandpa a girl could wish for.

(photo is grandpa, E, me (and a ‘in womb’ miss r) and my grandma)

When combined with the loss of my other grandfather days ago (who I barely knew, but still sad)… well it’s been a very harsh week. The silver lining is getting my sister here for a whole week. Thank you all for understanding I need some time to be not concerned about blogging, e-mailing, etc…