Friday, December 24, 2010

'Twas the Day of the Night Before Christmas




A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away;
While quite unselfish, it grows small.
 
~ Eva K. Logue
 
 




I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season, and embracing this time of peace ... hopefully we can bring it with us into the approaching year, and into all of our relationships.
 
xoxo

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Soft Words Butter No Parsnips ...

Or is it turnips ... wait that's blood from a turnip, and then there's something about cabbage too, but that wasn't in my stew so it really doesn't matter anyway!

Yesterday I was in full winter mode.  The air was still and cold, the sky was a watercolor wash of silver, and my faux logs were "crackling" behind the glass front of my gas fireplace, and these little guys peeking out at me.

We'll discuss these rascals first.  The more I browse the web, the more I see people re purposing their belongings into practical creations, or whimsical little gifts, and one of the themes that's really striking me lately is little woodland creatures, which has been in fad now for a handful of years and can be seen anywhere from t-shirts to fridge magnets to graphic design to probably the most obvious of all - stuffed animals.  Whenever I see a new person cropping up out there with their take on stylized critters I get a little - jealous isn't the right word - I just feel this pull to try it for myself.  And here's where I struggle, see I'm not exactly "creative" in this way, at least it's very difficult for me yet I save all sorts of old clothes, and bits of fabric because I'm a sentimental like that.  It's not at all unusual to find a sweater from high school days in my closet, or trinkets from childhood tucked here and there.  I always think I'm going to wear them again, or maybe just for the beach, or hey I could make something out of that some day!  Ten years later I'm asking myself when exactly was "some day" going to get here?  With that thought out came the scissors and rotary cutter, some scraps of felt, buttons, and embroidery thread, not to forget the stuffing, and this is what we end up with!