Trying Something New

I told myself that I was going to try new things in 2010....
...after all this is the year that will bring big changes in my life...



...in just a few months I will be leaving Corporate America for...
...home.
The time that I have been craving for so long will be mine.
Time to "do art"...to create...to organize... to clean out... to decorate...to try new things...



Time to travel...
Time to sort through my piles of great stuff...
...maybe sell some of my collections...perhaps open a shop?
Time to figure out what I will do with the rest of my life.



To start, I signed up for a workshop called Sweater Craft offered by Charlotte Lyons.
It really sounded like fun. It still sounds like fun. I just don't know if I will be any good at it.
It is coming up soon...Saturday, January 23rd.

Today, I received a very nice email from Charlotte, listing some supplies that we should bring and sharing a little bit about what we would be making...

Confession:

I'm just a tad nervous. I have not met these talented and creative women that have signed up and know each other and I am feeling as if I will surely be the dunce of the class. I am shy...not painfully shy like when I was young...but... a little shy. I don't really sew....at least not in a very long time. I'm not so good at following patterns, spacial relations or mechanical things. Last year I took a class with several girls from the office on how to make a charm bracelet. I was not so good with those pesky jump rings and needed a lot of help from the teacher. I decided I am not a jewelry maker...although I thought I might be good at it and have tons of stuff that I have accumulated to create and embellish with. I wasn't good at it...not at all.

Well, Charlotte did say the class would include some easy projects too and even some no sew projects for beginners....so maybe it will be OK.



...maybe I will just try something new...

How about you? Have you tried anything new lately?

It's Coming!

How very fitting that tomorrow, the day my Christmas tree goes up, the forecast is for snow!



It will be perfect, as least from my perspective....



With Christmas carols playing in the background and snow gently falling outside...



I will unwrap all my treasured ornaments and decorate our tree...



Rob, however isn't as enthusiastic about the impending snowstorm...
...or even putting the lights on the tree for me...



I will just have to convince him that he needs to get into the Christmas spirit...
..."I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus..."

:) Hope your weekend is full of fun!

P.S. The White Christmas sign was created and hand painted by Paula's talented sister, Annie!

Simple Gifts

Bits and pieces of the lyrics of that old Shaker song have been going 'round in my head all day today...

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me"
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

Trying to keep it simple this holiday season.
Trying to be a true friend.
Trying to listen.