THE PAPER PLACE GIVE AWAY

Just stumbled across this treat and potential opportunity to all paper artists today:




















Gotta love a give away of that much sexy paper!
Hit the photo above for a link to what I am jabbering about.

SLOW DOWN

Today I was forced to slow down and chill out due to a cold/flu thing coming on...well, it's already here. I fought it hard because my proverbial "to-do" list is always 10 times as long as it ever is this time of year.

In the end it has been a good day of kicking it on the couch with plenty of OJ, green tea & honey, my big bottle of Wellness Formula, cat sitting at my feet keeping them warm, lap top on lap keeping it warm, Pandora.com streaming my favorite music and all sorts of good reading. I received an order from Amazon several weeks ago that I've had no time to even crack. Now I am getting down and dirty burying my head in some crafting books gleaning ideas for holiday gifts. It's going to be a crafty Christmas with the current state of the economy kicking my pocket book's butt. And "makin' stuff" is my therapy from my crazy life. Cheaper than Prozac or Xanax...hee.

I am usually quite anxious when I am "forced" to slow down due to unforeseen causes because getting sick is never something I am very good at working into my schedule. I gave in today and decided to go with the flow, listen to my body and take care of myself first instead of driving myself to a place of potentially more discomfort by go-go-going.....

....and I survived with little to no anxiety attacks today. I feel better already and I have even done some writing which I have been neglecting or simply NOT prioritizing.

As Martha would say, "It's a good thing." And it has been.

Getting quiet and hanging out with my own thoughts and the cat (super good example of the zen of chillin') has helped clear my head of so much clutter that builds up this time of year. Over the past 10 years, this time of year has been extraordinarily frantic for me and rarely a joy until December 25th when I can hide from my regular work world which often expects more of me than I can give. It is that part of my life that is "closed for business" on the 25th and I can just breath if only for a day.

I remember when I was a kid, living with my father, how holidays such as Christmas often ended up being a day we did a top-to-bottom cleaning of the house. Odd, I know, but his life as a single father working full time as an attorney left him little free time so we would hunker down together, bleach out the toilets, fill the dishwasher, vacuum the carpets and then head over to someone's house for holiday dinner that evening. Can you believe I actually enjoyed this? Could be because I was hanging out with my father and even though I was not a kid who enjoyed house work, I obliged him on the 25th (and Easter) maybe as a small gift to him. I now have a Pavlovian desire to clean house on major religious holidays.

So, here I am chilling, writing a blog entry which I have not done in ages but crave to do so every day but there just are never enough hours in the regular work day. I may be physically sick today but I feel so good right now.

BIG PICTURE STUFF: I am at a crossroads in my life where my priorities are shifting away from that which creates chaos in my life and I want...NEED... to take the road where I can glean more joy from what I spend my time doing. And have faith that I am doing right by those that I share space with on this Earth. Critters and people alike.

It's a risky time to take a leap of faith with the economy in the crapper but I have faith that as soon as I commit to the major life change I have been contemplating for a long while that good things will come. As Mahatma Ghandi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." It starts right here, right now, with lil' ole' me.

I am a creative person by nature and I have stifled that for so many years just to keep putting food in my mouth and have health insurance but if there is no joy, no passion, no growth...then, what? I may as well forgo the insurance and lay down and die. SO, for me, it is time to turn a corner, breathe deep and LEAP!

Wish me luck...

SCRAPPY BOOK mentioned on cool blog...thank you!

I've been a bad blogger because I have been in a creative phase and have been taking pics and notes and plan to share, I promise but in the mean time I was delighted to find my lil' article on my Scrappy Book article for Quilting Arts mentioned on this super cool blog called THREADBANGER. I am trying to create some more "GREEN" projects as I move along on some other projects I am currently working on. As my ideas come to fruition I promise to share.

In the mean time thank your ThreadBanger!

STUDIOS A SPA FOR THE CREATIVE SOUL review

Okay….big old thumbs up to Cloth Paper Scissors new publication, STUDIOS: A Spa for the Creative Soul. I am in the midst of putting together my first “studio”. The last few years as my personal “creative soul” has expanded, my creative tools have moved from dining room table, to kitchen to bathroom, to shelves ALL OVER THE HOUSE….now, for the first time I will have one room dedicated to what I love to do which is CREATE. It is in the shelf-with-stuff-in-disarray point as I figure out the best storage solutions for all that I need for what I do and I DO A LOT! I dye, I paint, I tear, I glue, I rip, I stitch, I stain, I emboss, I bead, I repair, I …well, I just about do it all if it has to do with fabric or paper.

I have to admit that I have yet to READ it cover to cover but I have looked over all the photos of all the studios meticulously cover to cover and there are some great creative ideas for getting your creative world organized. The number one cool thing is that not all of the studios are SUPER PERFECT studios like in most publications where your mouth drools at the completely impossible especially if one is on a budget. Don’t get me wrong, there are shots of magical studios that one can only dream of but some of these rooms look much like my own and look like someone really works there. In fact there are 2 publications advertised in this publication that though I love them, I KNOW the studios pictured just can’t possibly look that perfect except for the photo shoot for the book. To clarify, I am not talking about the “before” pictures, either in a “before and after” feature in STUDIOS. A good example is the article, “fun & functional” by Jane Wynn. I don’t have a space as big as hers but her studio looks like a real studio and she utilizes many similar storage solutions that I do. I am at a place where I can’t spend a lot of money but it needs to be done and plastic storage is economical which is a plus. She uses it a lot in her studio.

I really love this publication and am referring to it quite a bit as I begin to get my mess organized and culled down.

Thank you, Cloth Paper Scissors! I love your publications! All of them!

Here is a link to order your own copy of STUDIOS A SPA FOR THE CREATIVE SOUL:

STUDIOS A SPA FOR THE CREATIVE SOUL

Here is a link to an on-line newsletter “how to” article I did for Quilting Arts, from the publishers of Cloth Paper Scissors:

Quilting Arts Embellishments newlsetter #50

THE JOURNEY BEGINS…or have I used that corny subject header already?

So, I admit to someone at work yesterday that I am someone who visualizes herself putting on those new tennies and comfy clothes and taking long walks and going for a jog or working out after work and every night I fail miserably and find myself wrapped up in computer work sitting on my growing behind, designing art or just being a couch potato watching American Idol (cuz that cute guy with the dreads is a friend of a friend of mine) despite the best of intentions of doing something physical. I have found that being a creative person to move forward and open the mind, ya just gotta go hang on a jungle gym, jump up and down, chase butterflies, do yoga….whatever it takes to get the heart rate up and come back to your creative space and you will be amazed at how you not only feel those endorphins flying through your body on a natural high but your mind opens up.

I took my first long solo walk last night IN A LONG TIME and will be putting my tennies on again in a few to do it again….last night I took my camera along to take pics of my journey but tonight will be all about “the burn”….hee….so no pics this time but maybe tomorrow when I do it while the sun it up, I’ll shoot some flowers. It is such a high to walk at night here because the jasmine is in bloom and something else that has a spicy sweet scent that I am clueless as to what it is but will find out from a California native. It intoxicates me. I will go a woodsier walk tonight but last night was down a major thoroughfare, safe but well, walked so I learned that I can get a Thai massage until 10pm for 35 bucks just walking distance from the homestead…good to know.

It was heaven.

A photo on the way.....

I made a restaurant for some "to-go" organic food my destination (I am such a Virgo that I have to get something crossed off my “to-do” list when I am doing something else whimsical like “working out”….I am sooooo lame!) and then back home but the organic place was closed so I backtracked to this great coffee shop where I used to do comedy...my first early sets. They have insanely great sandwiches and salads, so white albacore tuna on rosemary bread it was. As I waited, there was a free LA yoga publication on the table and I flip through it and unexpectedly find a friend of mine has this article in it that I was meant to come across last night. I think you will like it, too.

Here is a link to an on-line version:

MY OTHER CAR IS A YOGA MAT

Enjoy....I must send her a note because I loved this as I had no idea that she and I have such similar issues. In fact, I chipped a tooth with the same plight she suffers from.....once ya read, you will understand!

Martha Stewart and John Patrick Shanley

I am in the midst of finishing up reading, The Martha Rules, the book that Stewart worked on while she was in prison. Do you know how hard that was for me to write: “while she was in prison.” In retrospect it is so odd that MARTHA STEWART served time but I guess it “served” her well since her company is doing GREAT!

In Chapter 7 there is a quote that spoke to me at this time in my life:

“If you are resistant to change or if you refuse to change, you may as well call it a day. In other words, when you are through changing, you’re through.”

She repeats the 2^nd part of this thought a second time at the end of the chapter just to drive it home for me.

My life is at a fork in the road and is full of change whether I ordered it up myself, or not. It has been one of those cosmic things where I so desperately begged for and desired change but did not have the courage or strength to do it myself. Well, the cosmic universe ripped the carpet right out from underneath me and gave me a full platter of CHANGE and it tastes oh so good. Oh, it put a sour taste in my mouth initially, I won’t lie. In fact, I nearly choked on the suddenness of it all. But like ripping a band aid off a wound as quick as you can, it had to be done at some point or like Martha says above, you may as well have stuck me 6 feet under in a wooden box.

My life has been full of bouts of SUDDEN change over the past few years starting with the sudden passing of my father January 14^th 2006. I lost my very best friend and advisor so wise. I now talk to him late at night and wake up with his voice in my head and he guides me from far away.

I am a work in progress working hard at becoming a courageous person who is facilitating her own change instead of having it dumped on her lap unexpectedly.

There is a quote that appears in a forward to the play, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, written by John Patrick Shanley that came to mind after reading Martha’s chapter lucky number 7 that has always been a favorite quote and one that I used to strive to live by but had given up as fear built up inside of me through the years of living in a rut. Now that I am feeling more courageous in this great thing called LIFE, I am dusting this favorite quote off and giving it another chance.

“I am not a courageous person by nature. I have simply discovered that, at certain key moments in this life, you must find courage in your self, in order to move forward and live. It is like a muscle and it must be exercised, first a little, and then more and more. All the really exciting things possible during the course of a lifetime require a little more courage than we currently have. A deep breath and a leap.”

-John Patrick Shanley-

There is plenty of “leaping” left for me to do so I better start working out….a little and then more and more….."it's a good thing"...or "thang" when my Texas accent comes out to play.

PEGGY LEE

IS THAT ALL THERE IS?
Peggy Lee

SPOKEN:
I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me up
in his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself, "Is that all there is to a fire"

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

SPOKEN:
And when I was 12 years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth.
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears.
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads.
And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle.
I had the feeling that something was missing.
I don't know what, but when it was over,
I said to myself, "is that all there is to a circus?

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

SPOKEN:
Then I fell in love, head over heels in love, with the most wonderful boy in the world.
We would take long walks by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other's eyes.
We were so very much in love.
Then one day he went away and I thought I'd die, but I didn't,
and when I didn't I said to myself, "is that all there is to love?"

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing

SPOKEN:
I know what you must be saying to yourselves,
if that's the way she feels about it why doesn't she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me. I'm in no hurry for that final disappointment,
for I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you,
when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my lst breath, I'll be saying to myself

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

I will always remember my grandmother's affection for this song. Any time she was in a different state of mind other than the ho-hum of a normal day, she would put this on the turntable and it was something that moved her. If she was in a good place, she put on disco records. I loved that this grey haired lady loved the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and Alicia Bridges', I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE. I had the hippest grandmother in town! But if she was feeling down, tired or nostalgic, it was 100% Peggy Lee. And what a great song IS THAT ALL THERE IS is.



It got me to thinking about how when my mother tied one on, she would put on Neil Diamond, my father, big band music or maybe some Ink Spots.

There seems to be that special music that is precious enough to listen to only when we are in an altered state of mind, whether it be a glass of wine....or 4, a creative state or simply feelin' a lil' blue.

I have adopted the taste of my various family members and play a little of all of the above on occasion when I am feeling just a little off. Nick Drake is a favorite, too. I discovered his complete collection of music here later in life but it seems to suit me just as well as the current day David Gray to push me through a blue or "off" mood or even enhance a creative mood. Or I can go for a lil' Amy Winehouse or Scissor Sisters when I am feeling a lil' sassy. When I am in a regular old state of mind, it's KCRW public radio for me. Give me Morning Become's Eclectic or Chocolate City or give me death!

Oprah Oprah Oprah....

So, last night I could not sleep so I turn on the tube and Oprah is on....she seems to be on every time I can't sleep. She has never been a destination show for me but somehow I see her a lot these days since I have not found the wherewithall to fix my cable, etc. Anyway, it was a great episode with Dr. Oz on American's eating habits and how if we change them a particular way it will help. They get specific with examples of a high calcium diet, omega 3 diet, etc. All helping with different things where our body is concerned. I ate it up. For the first time ever, I log onto her website hoping to find out a lil' more about this since I am at a crossroads in my life full of great change and physical change is one of those things I am ready for and truly committed to to feel better and have more energy and yes, maybe drop a few.

I know this post is starting out sounding like it is about diet but here is where I am going...I hit this random link on her site by accident and up comes this quote...I love a good quote that comes along at the right time...kind of like a good fortune out of cookie from your latest Chinese take-out. The bad ones ya throw away, the good ones can change your life if only for a few minutes.

This one seemed particularly appropriate right now for me:

"If you have the courage to take the risks to say, 'I'm going to reinvent this part of my life,' you can be very, very happy."

— Susan Molinari

I am at a risk taking phase of my life. I've done it before but not in almost a decade it feels like. I did not realize how hard it could be. In my head it seemed so easy. CHANGE IS GOOD but change is hard. I feel like I need to pull a Madonna and do a complete overhaul of ME...physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

I feel that by posting it here, I am making a commitment to myself that I will be working hard to realign myself in this universe that we live in. Even creatively I intend to spread my wings and have begun to do so but if you knew what projects were in my head but not coming to fruition, ya'd smack me.

At this juncture the risk taking has been minimal but with the re-introduction of some old friends into my life as of late who are helping me remember who I was before I fell into my rut are introducing me to the new me that is a bit of that young girl mixing in with the new smart old lady I have become or should I say becoming and it feels good.

I was telling a good friend how I found myself laughing out loud yesterday at work of all places almost all day long so much so that those that I work with commented on how they loved my laugh and what fun we were all having....at WORK....now who has fun at work? We ALL should, my friends.

So, if it ain't fun, I ain't doing it. Let me amend that since I do need to clean the toilets on occasion here....if it ain't fun, make it fun!

Feelin' just rosy today....

"WHAT IT FOR?"

Many moons ago my grandmother had these great chairs that cost a fortune that she was intent on NOONE sitting on so much so, she left the "plastic" on the chairs. Well, my cousin Brad, just a toddler at the time, knocked Rheba (my grandmother) with a very common-sense question when he was instructed in a kindly manner to NOT sit upon one of these precious chairs, "What it for?" Good point! We have all laughed about this through the years because let's face it.....Brad, the toddler was full of more common sense that my own grandmother who clearly wanted us to just "LOOK" at her upholstered furniture....heee....

Sadly, I get where she was coming from as I protect my new couch from my CRAZY cat who never gave a hoot for our old couch but this new one I got is SPECIAL and worth ripping up with one's kitty claws....I cover it now since I DID pay for this dern thing with my hard earned sheckles.

See my sweet cat sitting amongst the "other" covered-in-plastic stools as I am certain he would tear them up as he has attempted to do so on the couch....I leave only the one uncovered for now....WELL, WHAT IT FOR?
Kel

MAKING LEMONADE

Cat slipped past me today as I opened the front door to go check mail and he made a bee line for the back yard. I quickly followed because I had to go to work and I was not in the mood to be wrangling him into the house when he'd rather be out in the sunshine...don't blame him, though, I'd rather be there today, too. When I got to the backyard I saw how the lemons from our next door neighbors trees are suddenly growing like wild fire. It's nice how many of the lemons are dangling into my backyard so I snatched a few and I'm gonna make lemonade my friends.

MY NEW LADIES

I have been knee deep in "feed me" work these past weeks that I have not visited my blog in a while so here I am for a quickie entry to share my new ladie's which I got at work......

One of my "feed me" jobs is working for Pier 1 Imports and with the spring comes a lot of new products to brighten the home with, esp. with the new CEO in charge...he's trying to bring back the taste of old Pier 1 when they carried more than just furniture and candles.

Had to have these gals to put in my new art studio to oversee everything. I have a hunch they will become art pieces themselves in time...when I find time for "just for me" art.

I know other places sell these dress form type statues but I was impressed with the quality, colors and possibilities of these and gave in....doesn't hurt having an employee discount, either.

NEW BEGINNINGS

It is a time of new beginnings and change for me. Change is something I do my best to resist but always always always feel so much better once I am on the other side of it and wonder why I resisted to begin with.

Change is a "GOOD THING" as Martha might say.

I learned that my cat is much the same as I, so I know I am not alone on this adventure of changing my life and surroundings completely. Resistant though I am, I am chipping away at this major task each day. There is still much work ahead of me as I put beads with beads, leather with leather, dye with dye.....you get my drift.

For now I have accomplished a new living area that still needs artwork and some things eliminated but it is beginning to come together. This was the first transformation that occurred and the cat when bonkers! I am including a video of him fighting it all and photos of him giving in and falling in love with his new furniture and fancy mod wool rug.

Being a big fan of BOB FOSSE and Gwen Verdon....

This brought a smile to my face:

FAVORITE THINGS & NEW DISCOVERIES

So, I head over the hill to visit one of my favorite people, Suzi Finer, to check out her new digs on Martel at Melrose and hang with THE DIVA herself. When leaving, I knew I was close to Dick Blick, a fave place when I'm in need of Golden Acrylic paint, Fabriano Medioevalis blank deckled edge cards and other favorite things I can't live without. I just got a new couch and where I have placed it, I have a big, blank wall above it and it desperately needs some wall art of some sort. Since I have a gift card to Dick Blick AND they are currently having a canvas sale, I decided why not make my own art…..
so I jet down Poinsettia to Beverly and parked my car and shopped. Having a rumbly in my tumbly I glance right and left there at the corner and just across the street…………MY new discovery………….MILK! At first glance at dusk, it looked a bit like a corner convenience store but intuitively I knew better.As I got my new blank canvas’s rung up at Dick Blick, I asked the girl ringing me up what MILK was and she said it was a great place to eat and that it was becoming quite the hot spot. She gave it a big thumbs up. Since I was starving, even if she gave it a thumbs down, I think I would have tried it out just due to logistics to my growling stomach.

When I walked in all I could smell was something chocolatey delicious baking….my mouth immediately started watering but I had to remember I needed to eat real food first….not that dessert isn’t real food. One of my dearest friends loves to eat dessert first but I had not eaten all day and it was 6pm….bad Kelley. I just went for the first sandwich on the board which sounded heavenly. Herb Roasted Chicken Breast-with fresh mozzarella, Portobello mushrooms, tomatoes and pesto sauce!mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I wanted to sample something else and decided to take whatever salad the girl behind the counter suggested and have brought home a Chopped Cobb salad that looks like a colorful healthy treat for tomorrow. I took her up on her suggested dessert which were their Oooey Gooey Double Chocolate Cookies….just ate one as I was typing this and they are deadly delicious. It’s almost ALL gooey good chocolate. I got one other dessert for later and that is the chocolate pudding...just took the lid off to take a photo and the smell of rich chocolate wafted right out of the container. It was all I could to not to steal a spoonful but I was good and resisted until tomorrow. I got everything “to–go” with the intent of eating when I got home but home is in the Valley and traffic was thick and it smelled so good that by the time I hit Crescent Heights/Laurel Cyn., I had to dive into the sandwich. It is served panini style and the chicken was so moist. The mushrooms are clearly lightly marinated just enough of something that it is a nice accent to the roasted chicken . It was such a great mix of flavors. detected some rosemary I believe among other wonderful flavors. Not too overpowering, though which was nice. As for the salad, it is in my fridge for lunch tomorrow.



MILK
7290 Beverly Blvd. (at Poinsettia)
Los Angeles 90036
323-939-6455
open 7 days from 7am - 10/11pm

FreeCycle ROCKS!!!

So, today I got my first experience with how "FreeCycle" works. It was "almost" fun. I say "almost" because some folk send you an e-mail telling you to forget everyone else cuz they are a "sure thing" but then they have to go to a sudden doctor's appt., yet oddly the girl who came through and picked up my sofa (to make room for a new one) was at a physical therapy appt. when I e-mailed her and promised her the couch but gave her a time limit of later tonight.....she showed up with friends and her wrist wrapped in bandages.....but showed which gives me this fine wonderful empty space to put my new couch and chair that I ordered many months ago.

These girls really seemed thrilled to get my old couch but what a wonderful thing....FreeCycle...UPCYCLE.....someone gets use out of something that truly has more use. Salvation Army was even being picky saying if it had any stains they might refuse it...this couch was in fantastic condition...new covers.....but on one of the arms I had to clean a natural stain and since it was a brushed cotton , it made the material lighter where I cleaned. Salvation Army was going to turn it down because they might not be able to "sell" it but this way, it goes into some other home full of aspiring actors who will stain the thing anyway....I KNOW....I was one...but I paid 900.00 for the thing but these girls got it free so they won't worry about the stains as much....

Say goodbye...my poor Pampas Pier 1 couch....gone forever....on to a new home full of creative people!

Check FreeCycle out at :
http://www.freecycle.org/

BE CAREFUL!

I am not accident prone but I do get various cuts and blisters along the way of life and working retail for a day job and an artist by night, I have become addicted to the various wonderful bandages that Band Aid makes...some are "tough"...some are "waterproof" and some have anti-biotics in the bandage. Anyway, I stock up once a year on my stash of various Band Aids that will be necessary through the year of cuts and bruises. I only bought 4 packs along with a 6 pack of water, gum and some toilet reading of "Star" magazine....stars before they got stylists...can't wait for my next bathroom break. I get rung through and then the clerk says...very earnestly, "BE CAREFUL." I should have explained that it was stock up time and not that I plan on cutting myself alot. Poor guy.