Ah...the Possibilities

 

This morning I made a drive by drop off at the Austin airport. Butler and I are now on our own for several days. As I drove home the sunrise was was painting the sky in vivid pinks and golds. My eyes drank in the changing clouds and colors. What an awesome display!

I could feel my spirit opening up to the possibilities of what I could do in the coming days. If nature can produce such a brilliant tableau, certainly I can mix my colors and patterns, too, with wild abandon! I'm inspired by the sky, the coming spring blooms, the rows of fabrics in the store, the beautiful dresses online. My creative soul is singing!

Blooming!

Another Good Thing

There is nothing that can't be conquered on a Monday morning after I've had a good, long, uniterrupted night's sleep!

Good and Bad

Can the ugly be far behind? Hope not!

My good....my lovely second sister is going to be working with me on some sewing. I am so excited! She is talented and clever. (I can't believe it, but once while living in Turkey she made a dress for my niece entirely by hand! I am in awe.) So this weekend I'm busy, happily so, organizing a box to send to her. I'm writing lots of notes and including some pictures. Keep your fingers crossed that she will looove the process of creating with me. (I even have my toes crossed.) Beam us your good thoughts!!!

I can't express how wonderful it is to be working with both my sisters - Linda, the poet, and Marsha, the seamstress. If I could think of some way to involve my 2 brothers, I would. If for no other reason than to talk to them regularly. My admiration for the talent, intelligence and sense of humor that runs throughout my family, knows no bounds.

And the bad. I've written fairly recently about the joy that comes from successfully completing a project from the spark of an idea to the finished project. On the flip side this week has seen me struggling and temporarily putting aside a less than successful project. In my mind the design for a dress with sleeves was fresh, sassy and whimsical. In reality it is none of those things. It is tired and muddled. So I must set it aside while I decide if any of the ideas it incorporated are viable. I'm a little sad. And I hate that I've wasted 3 days on a failure. I have always told my children that failing is progress. "You know that you don't have to do that again. You can move forward to the next idea." But this morning failure feels just like itself - a bit like falling down.  Painful!!!

If I'm not posting as regularly as before, it is because I'm busy. Picking myself up, putting on bandaids, and moving on.

Happy Thoughts

This came into my mailbox this morning. It is so hopeful and joyful. This is how I'm feeling today!

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome.

 

By Derek Walcott

 

 

Make this optimistic Wednesday!!!

Sew Happy

 

The new combinations of fabrics I'm working with are making me so happy. They are a bit crazy like that upside down owl you can maybe make out. I'm feeling sassy, whimsical, and colorful. And that is how I hope my Annarella Girls feel when they wear these dresses.

I'm preparing for a photo shoot in February. That's when I'll begin posting these on facebook. My fall/winter jumpers are still on sale until the end of January. Check them out. Only the sizes shown are available. At $10 off they would make a great gift for now or, thinking ahead, next winter. Click here for my link or go to the sidebar and click.

 

 

Above is another teaser. You didn't think I was moving away from pink? It's going to be a grreat spring, I can just feel it in my bones.

Qualities of Life

Among the background noise of my Sunday TV I hard someone talking about what qualities make a great president. Courage, integrity, and patience. Isn't that what we wish for our children to learn and develop? Isn't that what we need to exhibit in our daily lives? Certainly not easy always, but we can do it. By example we can lead our children - be leaders for our children.

I can get pretty preachy on this blog. You probably get very tired of my ranting. But I have a need to speak my mind. I take the risk that you won't agree with me, but my hope is that you will think. You will think about the world around us even if it can be a frightening and frustrating place. You will think about the legacy we leave for future generations. You will think about how to do your best and encourage others to do theirs. You will think about how your actions will impact others. Hey, pretty heavy stuff, isn't it?

I envision my life, my words, my dreams, my best as the pebble dropped into the pond with ripples spreading wide. Never knowing what effect I have but hopeful that at least one person feels better, does better and passes it on. I believe in the power of one. When I think back on my life, there are people who inspired me - a teacher, a mentor, a sibling, a parent, a child, a friend. As a gathering they've made me a better person - more caring, more daring, more compassionate, more sympathetic - often in small ways, but I still practice and try to improve every day by remembering their words and actions.

Hero? No. At most I hope that I've encouraged my children and grandchildren to lead good lives. Maybe a friend is happier for knowing me. Maybe a customer smiles when seeing what I create. Maybe the good and happiness spread in the pond of humanity. A ripple of smiles and caring.

To the NRA

The discussion is about gun control, not gun abolition. Can you talk about that?