dark...

after dinner on tuesday (whole wheat pasta and pesto) i needed something sweet. dove dark chocolate promises are my candy of choice these days (thanks to dr. south beach). sometimes the sentiments are goofy, like the one above. sometimes they make me smile from ear to ear.

honestly, i just wanted to try out the "macro" setting on my digital camera! i like how you can see the individual threads of my placemat!

thrifting...knitting...collecting

i've been hitting the thrift store pretty hard lately. i scored these two weekends ago. there are thirteen of a series of time life books on sewing. i think the copywrite date is 1973. what clinched the purchase, though, was that the previous owner of these books must have taken a sewing course and the certificate commemorating her first completed garment was still in the front of one of the books AND the date of the certificate was TO THE DAY 28 years ago. each of the books covers a different sewing topic...there are even instructions and patterns to make leather gloves. the covers each sport a different fabric...the top photo showcases a few of my faves. the one on the end is orange corduroy...mod, mod, mod! (hey, and check out my breakfast crumbs in the front of the bottom pic! mmmm, whole wheat toast!)

the blue socks are complete and even survived a trip in the washing machine. the neopolitan socks are 1/2 done. i keep reading and hearing about a way to knit two socks at once on two circular needles...that way you finish them at the same time and they're always the same size (btw...my blue ones are exactly the same size! thank you very much!). but the directions seem so cryptic. any savvy sock knitters out there that have walked the plank and tried this sock knitting method, please let me know. yes, i need to know because on sunday i actually purchased MORE sock yarn. so that brings the count to one completed pair of socks, one half pair of socks and yarn enough in the stash to make two more pairs. i've got it bad. and the allure AND lure of crochet is beckoning me so fiercely, i can barely control it. fabric, yarn, thread, buttons, aprons, beads, paper, old books, vintage patterns all threaten to take over the house. thank goodness i have broken free from my addiction to collecting! (not!)

i have yet to mention my now ever expanding collection of 1960s cookbooks...the most recent addition, "lunches and brunches," in which aspic is often mentioned. yummy!

14 days is a long time...

and there are no good excuses for not posting for two weeks. however, there are a million and one little reasons why i haven't been a more conscientious blogger, below are just a few:

***my son has turned 16 and it has, quite frankly, turned me inside out with emotion. his steps toward independence (which is, of course, what i want for him) have led me to look at the very near future and what my world will look like when he no longer lives in our home. it is a future filled with promise, free-time and endless possibilities. i just didn't think the future would arrive so quickly!

***big changes at my workplace and in my job. most of the changes are good. some of them are sad and involve someone close to me taking an exciting career jump that leaves me missing her terribly. the day seems long without a good friend to work beside.

***i was mentally preparing for my 3-month oncology follow-up appointment. the report was superb--my cancer markers remain low and my health is tip top. but the thought of going to that office and talking about something i'd rather forget, puts me in a funk for at least a fortnight. more good news--i have passed a milestone and now only need to visit the oncologist every 6 months! yay, me!

***an anonymous comment to a past post made me examine why i write here. blogging has allowed me to form friendships with people i was previously just acquaitanted with. this venue has afforded me the opportunity to stay connected with people who, like me, have full lives but are able to check-in via the internet with those we care about. this is a place to make me feel a part of a larger caring community, not disconnected or distressed. i do not have the desire to toughen up my skin to withstand anonymous comments from strangers. i am an open person and this blog will remain open to all readers and open to all comments. however, all anonymous comments will automatically be deleted...good or bad. whether someone thinks i'm inane or absurd, brilliant or gifted is inconsequential. but they should at least have the courtesy and the courage to reveal their identity...because the comments feature is meant to open a dialogue. if that ability is not honored, then what's the point?

on the street where you live...

first, the shoppe has been updated! earrings and felted flower pins. enjoy!

oh, yeah, and e-mail me if you're interested in anything.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

i went in late to work on monday...damn the change in weather and it's migraine-inducing powers. i was sorry to get caught up in the later hour's morning commute traffic, but it did afford me the opportunity to get a glimpse of a favorite neighborhood couple.

they are in their late 60's--maybe early 70's. they take a morning constitutional every day. they both walk on the sidewalk, but on opposite sides of the street. the husband is a slower walker than the wife, so he is usually about 10 paces behind her. i have never heard them engage in conversation with one another. but they are so obviously together...because it happens every day.

when kelly and i go for our evening walks, we are blabbering the entire time. when we go out to dinner, there is never a lull in our conversation. we talk on the phone numerous times throughout the day. perhaps we're the exception and other couples who've been together for 20 years have a difficult time staying connected with their words, but we've never found that to be a challenge.

all i'm saying is this...i always want to walk on the same side of the street with kelly and hold his hand.

coming soon...more adornments

as promised...an imminent shoppe update--

earrings, mini bags and pins.

16 in 3 days...

"stop & remember, have fun and be careful."

the last spread of the birthday book i made for nathaniel this weekend.

in 3 days my baby boy will be 16 years old.

this is a picture of him and his 1970 ford ltd sporting his lettermen jacket on his lanky frame.

the countdown has begun...mothers lock away your daughters {just kidding}.

it really adds up...

from mary beth's site, to jane's site, to shari's site to here...

this is me boiled down to the exact numbers. pretty on target...especially the part where it says its initially difficult for me to get to know people.

You entered: heidi sue ludwig

There are 14 letters in your name. Those 14 letters total to 75. There are 7 vowels and 7 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 3

The characteristics of #3 are: Expression, verbalization, socialization, the arts, the joy of living.

The expression or destiny for #3:An Expression of 3 produces a quest for destiny with words along a variety of lines that may include writing, speaking, singing, acting or teaching; our entertainers, writers, litigators, teachers, salesmen, and composers. You also have the destiny to sell yourself or sell just about any product that comes along. You are imaginative in your presentation, and you may have creative talents in the arts, although these are more likely to be latent. You are an optimistic person that seems ever enthusiastic about life and living. You are friendly, loving and social, and people like you because you are charming and such a good conversationalist. Your ability to communicate may often inspire others. It is your role in life to inspire and motivate; to raise the spirits of those around you.

The negative side of number 3 Expression is superficiality. You may tend to scatter your forces and simply be too easygoing. It is advisable for the negative 3 to avoid dwelling on trivial matters, especially gossip.

Your Soul Urge number is: 7

A Soul Urge number of 7 means: With a number 7 Soul Urge you are very fond of reading, and retreating to periods of being alone and away from the disruptions of the outer world. You like to dream and develop you idealistic understandings, to study and analyze, to gain knowledge and wisdom. You may be too laid back and withdrawn to really succeed in the business world, and you will be much more comfortable in circumstances that are tolerant of your reserve, your analytical approach, and your desire to use your mind rather than your physical being.
You are very timid around people that you don't know very well, so much so at times that casual conversation and social situations can be strained. You tend to repress your emotions to the extent that some people have a good bit of difficult understanding you. You tend to be very selective with friends and you don't easily adapt to new environments or to new people very quickly.

The negative traits of the 7 include becoming too much the introvert and isolated from others.

Your Inner Dream number is: 5

An Inner Dream number of 5 means: You dream of being totally free and unrestrained by responsibility. You see yourself conversing and mingling with the natives in many nations, living for adventure and life experiences. You imagine what you might accomplished.

studio friday...inspiration

texture, thread, the color pink, rick rack, beads, my three old kitchen tables (the one in this picture is from my gram's home), needles, pins, photographs...all inspire me to create.

see what inspires other artists here.

red-faced...

since my surgery i haven't really liked to wear pantyhose. not that i liked to wear pantyhose before, but the incision site from my surgery was really irritated by the waistband of pantyhose. tights were okay and undergarments okay too. but pantyhose were strictly out of the question. waaaay too constricting. but, as most ladies will attest, there are times when it is not a tights kind of outfit and going bare legged is inappropriate as well. yesterday was one of those days. most days i rock the brown 60's style side zip boots, but we've been on a warm-up here in the midwest and it was slated to be nearly 70 degrees. boots would be a bit, well, sweaty. so i picked out some velveteen high heeled mary janes...funky girl meets office chic. the legs though are not yet tanned (or "faux rub on tanned", as i have sworn off the sun). the question remained, what type of leg covering to go for. i pawed through the sock drawer and pulled out a pair of thigh high hose. not the kind you wear with a garter belt, but the kind that have the ever so odd rib of clear silicon that holds the hose up like magic...or so the package claimed. on one trip from my desk to the ladies room i noticed that my left leg felt very exposed. so exposed that by the time i arrived at said restroom, the stocking was hunched down around my ankle.

apparently, the last time i bought thigh high hosiery i weighed 30 pounds more than i do now. hence: skinnier thighs + too big thigh high hosiery = unequaled embarassment as co-worker strides through information technology (read "all guy department") area on way to restroom.

self-tanner aisle, here i come.

self portrait tuesday...crossbite

today's the last self portrait tuesday focusing on the things we don't like about ourselves. besides my nose, my crossbite is what i struggle with the most. it makes my tooth look like it's missing. i've consulted lots of orthodontists about it and they all tell me "no way." guess i'll have to live with it.

one down...

this is it...my very first finished sock! i knit it from the pattern in the december 2004 issue of martha stewart living. it wasn't at all difficult, but it did take a loooong time. i suppose i am a slow knitter. i was telling becky that the most difficult thing to remember when taking on a project like a pair of socks is, well, that you have to knit two of them. words to live by.

i have two other projects "on the needles" right now...the other pair of striped socks and a cotton kerchief scarf from last minute knitted gifts. i think i'm ready to knit myself a sweater with some stretchy forgiving yarn on needles bigger than a size 2. more words to live by!

old, new, borrowed, blue...

studio friday's theme...

old...a dress form, vintage lace dress, and prized old apron.

new...10 (yes, 10!) gingerbread house kits.

borrowed...my great aunt polly's buffet. when she passed away, i guess it became a gift.

blue...a pair of favorite pants that need to be repaired. i noticed a sincere lack of blue in my studio.

see other artists here.

something new...

knitter extraordinaire and great friend, becky, made this neat-o knitting needle holder for me and gifted me with it last night at my "knitting lesson." (i swear this picture didn't look this blurry when i took it this morning.)

also, last night, i turned my first heel (with much assistance from becky) on this, my first pair of socks. it's like a little bit of magic, making this happen.


it was a lovely evening of chit chat, lattes and laughing. thank you so much, becky!

silence...

is not what we heard on wednesday night when we attended the ursuline vs. nerinx basketball game. these two all girl catholic high schools have an age old rivalry, so it was "on like donkey kong" wednesday night. imagine hundreds of girls dressed up in their school colors, crazy outfits, outrageous hairdos, a giant bear wearing a school girl skirt, and rock concert noise levels. that image will only represent a fraction of the excitement that happened in that gym. my ears were humming on the car ride home. did i mention that it was crazy loud and that they had t-shirt tosses (of t-shirts specially made for this ONE game)? and did i mention how much i wanted one of those t-shirts, because i'm a freak like that? coming from a high school at which school spirit was high, this was nothing in comparison. those girls cheered themselves hoarse. in addition to three basketball games (freshman, JV and varsity) there was a half time show with dancing.

the cutest redhead in the world is who we came to see...she's at the very end on the left in the front row. oh yeah, did i tell you it was LOUD?

tradition...

heart-shaped pizza of love...and

a platter full of sugar cookies.

happy valentine's day to us!

breathe in...breathe out...

i decided to look fear right in the eye and go forth...my creations are now for sale on the internet.
go here--it's my official sales page with complete descriptions, or you can click on the flickr link below right to see a slide show.

also for sale--fabric appliqued cards.

coming soon...jewelry and small zippered bags.

{hey, this is fun...}

Your Candy Heart Says "Cutie Pie"

You always seem to have a hot date, even though you never try to meet anyone. A total charmer, you have a natural appeal that keeps you in high demand. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: multiple dates with multiple people Your flirting style: 100% natural What turns you off: serious relationship talks Why you're hot: you're totally addicting

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

i don't think this is really me, but i thoroughly enjoy being referred to as a "cutie pie."

word cloud...

there's a great website that will scan your blog for the most used words and make a word cloud out of those words. here's mine...

studio friday...fear

today's challenge is to show what frightens us most...creatively, speaking, that is.

and here it is. no, it's not laundry, it's a pile of work. sweaters to be felted and felted sweaters ready to be cut into bags and bags that are already cut out ready to be sewn and embellished. it seems like the larger the mound of sweaters, the more daunting the entire process is. add this to the fact that my lower level studio (see the laundry hanging in the background?) is a year-round 60 degrees and the creative process really gets bogged down. not to mention that i put this out there and then the fear compounds upon fear. it's about confidence and rejection and a bunch of other pop psychology issues i'm sure many other artists deal with every day. time to confront the fear and push on through to the other side, don't you think?

see the fears of other artists here.

a banner day...

a glittery "hugs & kisses" banner i made to hang in the dining room window

AND, do you see what's on the ground outside?

yes, that's right, lovely snow.

here's a pic from my drive to work this morning.

please pardon the blurriness, i was actually driving when i took the picture...i know, shame on me.