2011 In Review

Thank you God for my hands. they brought peace, joy and Your Voice to everyday.

January: Soul Restoration Workshop.

It takes time and effort, but all good work does, right?

February: All the Ladies Fabric Journal from a Ruth Rae class.

March: Bead Woven Bracelets, a new skill...

April: After burying mother I turned my attention

to the tedium of stitches and beads

on this wool crazy quilt project.

May: Made several covers for Moleskine journals to give as little love gifts

during the Art of Spring Event.

June: Remains of the Day journal. A new love...

July: She Art Workshop.

August: Started using Project Life to journal my Year in Photos.

September: KC Willis Fabric Journal class...

October: Bees Wax Collage Class at My Heart's Fancy.

November: Completed many journals,

jewelry,

and knits for Glitter Market.

December: My daughter's 18 Cakes Journal, December Daily journal, my first banner,

 and this Nap mat for which I believe I will post a tutorial in January.

You still here? Damn. Thank you, thank you, thank you for getting me through this year.

Here's to 2012 bringing many more good things...

Christmas In My Nest

Not a lot.

Just enough.

Christmas 2011.

Hope yours is easy.

Hope mine isn't blue.

Merry Christmas to you.

In Celebration of a Birthday

Because my daughter loves details, because it was her 18th birthday and because I had the time and inclination, I started dipping things in chocolate. 

Oreos. Spoons.

Pretzels.

Marshmallows.

I then packaged those things.

Sparkly, girly...

Made a banner. 

My daughter went to eat with some of her best girlfriends and returned to this surprise.

A table to celebrate and delight her.

Candies and cookies to send home with her friends.

I am not sure who it pleased more, her or me.

Pretty sure it was me...

18 Cakes

It took 18 years for me to make this album.

It is my daughter's story of birthday cakes over the years until this one, her 18th birthday.

I will share a few pages here.

I used all the invitations that I found in a box I moved out of mother's house.

I also found a note mother left me. She knew I would be the last person to go through her things.

I have cried, smiled, laughed, cried...

That's what it's like to raise a healthy child that lives to celebrate all these birthdays.

I realize I am lucky.

Yet, there are clouds that pass over and tell me she is leaving.

And I grieve that.

And everything is going like it's supposed to.

And I celebrate that.

Suz said she has room in her heart for sadness, its the depression that she doesn't want to fall into to. I get that.

And, so, there is happiness and there is sadness, like most beautiful stories...