Mother’s Day: 2013

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Mother’s Day this year was pretty calm. We spent the morning just hanging out together on the couch. I was actually able to sleep in a bit too! The afternoon was spent helping CT paint a gift for my mom, which you can see above. She wants to be a painter when she grows up now!. She seriously talks about it ALL THE TIME! The night was spent having a very nice dinner with my entire family, well most, my sister Cori wasn’t able to make it. In hindsight I don’t think I would change a single thing. Hopefully next year is just as nice.

I’m Not A Garden Person…

notgarden_001notgarden_002The title pretty much says it all, I’m totally not a garden person. I don’t enjoy digging in dirt, or planning out where to put things. I wish I was. I’ve even bought books about what flowers to plant when and how to not kill every green thing you touch. I’ve even tried to go the artsy route and make it a project. I have a few books on how to cast your own concrete planters, lawn ornaments, etc. Still nothing.

If it wasn’t for the fact that our homeowners association does our yard work for us (quarterly garden bed cleaning/upkeep, and weekly lawn mowing), I think we would just have grass, or dirt, or maybe just concrete? The furthest I’ve gone to do anything outside was add some of those little solar lights and a cute girly gnome my mom got me, and I even broke one of the lights trying to reposition it last week! Ugh.

This past week while wandering Target, I came across a white enameled airplane that was meant to go in your yard. Don’t ask why I would even be in the garden section, I couldn’t answer you. Anyway, I don’t normally like garden decor, but I DO love enameled metal decor, indoor or out. There’s just something about the sleek finish of enameled metal that I can’t ignore. So of course I bought the plane (and a replacement solar light).

The next day I placed it in my front yard and all of a sudden I have this urge to do more out there. Maybe add to the existing bushes and flowers? Maybe some flower pots? Maybe a small scale sculpted TARDIS? I don’t know yet, but I want to do something. That damn plane must have triggered something in my head!! I have no idea where to start though. The plant aisles at the nurseries stress me out, there’s just too many factors…

Any suggestions? Or anyone out there want to do the work for me!!?! Haha.

My Week So Far: Crayons, Fabric and Plastic


myweeksofar_05_15_13_002myweeksofar_05_15_13_001myweeksofar_05_15_13_003I’ve been feeling a teeny bit better this week. I kinda know what I want to do, which is a big change from previous weeks. Also I have a nice weekend coming up, so that’s something to look forward to.

If the photos alone can’t explain my week, then I guess I will! Ha.

- CT has been very energetic and destructive, just in the time it took to make dinner Monday she took the paper off ALL OF THOSE CRAYONS! Yes, that picture should sum up my week so far as a mom. Oh my I don’t even know how to put into words what I’m feeling.

- I have been testing out a few different ways to paint on knit fabric. I have a bunch of ideas for dresses I’d like to make myself, but I knew I didn’t want to spend too much since I’m just starting out. Normally i’d just get something printed from Spoonflower, but I’d need 3 to 4 yards, thats $90 before shipping per dress. Yet, if I paint them and get fabric on sale, they end up being $20 a dress. Much scarier price tag for something that may not come out the way I want! Also, it seems I really enjoy painting again, even if its something very simple and sorta tedious. I like it!

- I FINALLY started casting this week. I’ve only had the supplies for a week and half. This time around hasn’t been as much fun. I keep having “technical difficulties” that are frustrating me! First one of the molds had a chemical reaction with a glue I’ve used before, and today one of the plastics I use won’t seem to cure!! I don’t want to be frustrated with something I love doing so much. Luckily though it’s just the opaque plastic, the clear plastic is curing just fine and I should have new pieces up in the shop by the end of next week

I hope the rest of the week goes well, I kinda need that right now.

Oh and friendly reminder that the second week of our 10 year anniversary giveaway ends Friday! You could win over $100 worth of hand cast plastic jewelry and accessories by ME!. Just pop over to Monday’s post and let me know what your favorite blog to read is!!

Lost

I’ve been wanting to write more posts about things like feelings and everyday life, but sometimes the sheer idea of that scares the crap out of me. Do I really want everyone to know just how miserable and vulnerable I feel lately? How Lost I feel? How scared I am of EVERYTHING!

About a week ago a friend of mine posted she felt the same way, and said she had shared it with the world so she was now accountable for those feelings, so she could try and change them. I like the idea of that. The idea that if I put it out there, it is known, it is no longer my own secret. It is something I can try and change.

I feel super lost. I wake up every morning and have so much that I want to do, but I feel so overwhelmed that I don’t get anything done. Two months of being super tired and trying to (mostly) hide it made things even worse. I don’t even want to leave the house, yet I feel like I’m probably missing out by not doing so. I am constantly struggling with myself about everything. Even the smallest details frustrate the hell out of me right now. “Tea or Coffee? I have no idea so I won’t drink either”.

It’s seriously affecting my creativity too!! I can’t decide on anything! I have no idea what I want to do, who I am, where am I going, what am I doing with my life. Art School Dropout turning 10 years old this month made me question a lot. Do I want to continue this path? Do I want to do something different? I love making things, but still ask these things daily, maybe that means I should try something different?

I look in the mirror everyday and don’t even recognize myself anymore. I look tired and sad, no matter how much I try to smile. Before the gluten test crap, I was going to the gym regularly and losing weight, I felt great. Now it is a nightmare to even think about going to the gym, or how I’ll get there! My gym buddy has a super large workload right now and cant drive me (If your reading this Ash, I’m not upset about that), which brings me to the biggest thing bringing me down. I don’t drive, I did once, but I haven’t had a drivers license in 10 years. Before moving out to the country I didn’t need to drive. We lived in the city! I had public transit and a scooter. Now I have daily reminders that yes, I am 30, and I do not have a drivers license. It is now my own fault that I don’t drive. The idea of driving scares me. Especially now that I have a little in tow. But the idea of wasting away in the house also scares me.

“What If?”. that phrase really is my biggest problem. “What if I wear so and so dress, will I be looked at funny because I’m not the right size?” “What if I submit my fabric designs and no one likes them?” “What if I wreck the car?” “What if they hate me because I speak my mind?”

“Why even try?”

At first I felt selfish spouting out all this negative talk, I have edited and re-written this post so many times. But then I remembered, this is my space to talk and I should feel comfortable enough in it to say whatever I feel like saying. I feel it also shows I am a real person whose definitively not all cheery and colorful all the time. I have feelings, pretty sensitive ones actually. Sometimes you just need to get it all out without forcing one innocent bystander to listen constantly (like my poor husband and friends). I feel like this might be my first step to being a better ME, and if not, writing this post was way cheaper than a therapy session.

Has anyone else out there felt this way? Did you ever get over it? Without the help of prescribed drugs? I would love to hear your stories! If you already have a blog post just link it, otherwise I’m cool with long comments or private emails!

Close Ups and Complaining…

I had this sudden urge this morning to take a few close up photos of one of my favorite corners in the house. It’s in the living room. It’s where I keep all my small travel trinkets of places I’ve been (or want to go, since I’ve never been to Paris). I love looking at all these pieces and the memories from each trip. Good and bad, since I didn’t have the great time on a few of the trips.

It’s also where we keep some of our little toys and collections… though why lie, there’s actually toys and trinkets all over the house! Which I am beyond happy about. I spend A LOT of time in this house, so I’m glad I can just walk around and find things to make me smile. As of late, I really need that.

I have this constant urge to rearrange, paint, build and more these days. It’s like my mind is being super cruel to me. I don’t have the energy to do such things, but for some reason it’s all I want to do. Ugh…

More on why I’m so tired…

my gluten sensitivity test / endoscopy was moved about 20 days from its original date due to the fact that I had a horrible cold and they can’t do a scope when someone is sick. This means I am STILL eating gluten everyday, and STILL feel super sick and tired. I seriously consume way too much caffeine just to keep up with CT, and I hate that. I just plain out hate being sick.

I have this plan to completely change my food intake and possibly TRY a paleo lifestyle change (not a diet, since it’s mostly not by choice) once all this crap is over. I have a dairy intolerance and a gluten allergy, so it’s right up my ally. I’m also planning on taking a lot of sugars and processed foods out of my daily diet too (since I notice even the gluten free stuff hurts my stomach) Not all of it though. I’m not the only one living in this house, so I can’t keep all that stuff away. I’m not going to deprive my family the foods they love just because I can’t eat them anymore. Plus we really like frozen yogurt (and our local place has soy options) and it’s a fun family outing.

I know I got off topic there, oops. It’s just been on my mind NON STOP.

Anyway, would any of you readers be interested in posts sharing my adventures into clean eating? Successes and failures?

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Culler Lake

This past weekend my baby brother and sister came up to visit, and to help out with some product photos. We were originally going to take picture in the neighborhood, but there was just too much construction. So instead we headed to Frederick since there is an abundance of places to take photos there. Plus there’s loads of restaurants to eat at!!

After lunch we ended up at Culler Lake, which is kinda part of Baker Park. It’s a cute little lake with ducks and all. It was perfect for taking pictures! CT and my brother were able to play and my husband was able to hang out on a bench.

My adorable sister Cori was really awesome about taking so many pictures too! Seriously, I took A LOT of photos!!

Funny thing, I have been making jewelry for almost 10 years, and somehow this is the first time I’ve ever taken pictures of my jewelry on a real live person!!! How weird is that? I’m pretty new to portraits where the jewelry is the main focus and not the person, and I’m not too sure about how they came out. I’m very happy with my sister in the shots, but I don’t think I did well focusing on the jewelry. I guess I’ll get better with lighting, composition and all the more I try?

 

Anyone have some pointers?