This and That

Cloudy with a hint of rain

The daylilies are almost ready!

The tiny tomatoes are growing,

the Henry Duelberg salvia is taking over areas of the garden,

the tiny Tickseed Sunflowers brighten things up.

Dianthus and begonias add pink touches here and there.

Indian Hawthornes throughout the area are now suffering from entomosporium leaf spot.  Ugh.  I wondered what was going on with the shrubs.

Have you heard about the 100 Day Project?  I've seen this on a couple of blogs and love seeing the topics different people have chosen. The project ended April 30.

The goal was to work on the whatever project each person chose everyday, not complete it.  

Kim Smith made handmade, quirky, and delightful dolls
100 days of Peppah  :) photos of her dog, but in imaginary situations
tales of cloth  Carol, this one's for you--hexies!
not the blank page  collage
100 days of patterns

One-a-Day Challenge & Miscellaneous Movie Suggestions

"One what?" you may ask?  One something, one anything, one effort in the studio.  One textile brooch, one little space of time on anything from embroidery to patchwork to clay.

After quite a long fallow period, I'm suddenly having itching fingers.  Jotting down ideas, exploring possible formats, and actually getting up the stairs and doing some work.  :)  Adding to "the shirt" is an easy effort.

So I've issued a personal challenge to myself.  It isn't an onerous task, of course; it is actually more like play, but after so many months without working on anything but bits of embroidery, it is time to get back upstairs and make something.  Anything.   

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Fee and I saw The Chef this weekend, and it was every bit as uplifting as Rian said!  I smiled through over half the film!  



Critical reviews have not been pleased with the very things I loved up about the film:  it is too happy.  Maybe it is a fairy tale, but sometimes we need to see and feel the brighter side of life, and Fee and I left the theater feeling upbeat, still smiling, and more than pleased.

Have you seen it?  If not, put it on your "must see" list!

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On that note, Irene McKenna has listed 50 Mystery and Suspense films she would like to watch and review.  A lot of Hitchcock is included (well, who doesn't think Hitchcock for suspense?), but also The Crying Game and The Usual Suspects and China Town.  I think this would make a nice weekly movie night, but I might have to substitute a few.

While I'd love to watch most of these again and many for the first time, I don't think Reservoir Dogs is one.  In fact, I never watched the entire movie, only saw bits and pieces when Fee and I worked at the Dixie Theater in Ruston...a long, long time ago.  He was the projectionist, and I worked behind the counter serving popcorn and cokes.  I might replace Reservoir Dogs with Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid - Steve Martin at his best, a classic.  Oh, and Big Trouble in Little China!

Just a retrospective of Hitchcock films would be great, if possible in chronological order.

If you check Irene's list and have any suggestions, let me know.

Oh, Yes!

via Threadbanger

Digressive Thoughts

Not much progress on this one.  I've been too obsessed with Take a Stitch Tuesday and embroidery to work on her.

She has a hat and hair, but she isn't moving forward.  She still has no legs, and I have no clear idea yet about who she is.

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Yesterday meant another visit to the opthamologist.  Spent much of the day on the way to and from the appt. (nearly 30 min. each way since my doctor moved his office), in the waiting room, getting the exam, and waiting to get my vision back to normal.  I listened to some speakers on TED and did laundry and other chores  to pass the time that I couldn't spend stitching or reading.  I do love TED.  My favorite one from yesterday was on neuroplasticity and meditation.

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This is an interesting article about creativity and the need for solitude and time without interruptions.  Group think and brainstorming may have their places, but creative activity in any area appears to benefit much more from privacy, personalized space, and lengthy periods of uninterrupted time.

Some people create under any circumstances--no matter how busy their lives may be; there are individuals who will always find time for creative endeavors, even if it is a few minutes here, a few minutes there.

Everyone, however, benefits from having periods of solitude, time to focus, to ponder, to play with ideas.  I think that is why you see people who have never had much evidence of creativity suddenly blossom after retirement.  Suddenly, they have time to pursue activities that have interested them, but that during their working lives, they have had little time to indulge.

Creativity takes so many forms: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual....

Thinking about the article brings to mind Virginia Woolf's essays/lectures A Room of One's Own, in which she ponders the importance of having one's own money and a place of privacy  in order to create.  We know that some people have managed with neither, but not having to worry about the next meal and having a place where one can work undisturbed can certainly make it easier to create.

And Thomas Grey's Elegy in a Country Churchyard, a thoughtful revery about the poor whose lives, circumscribed by poverty and work, never achieved what they might have been capable of achieving.

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;

Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,

Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre:  

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page,

Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll;

Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,

And froze the genial current of the soul.

He notes, however, that not only were their virtues, but their crimes confined.  A Cromwell "guiltless of his country's blood" may also lie in the graveyard.  Possible tyrants and murderers, as well as possible poets and scientists, may be buried there.  Poverty meant that they never achieved either wonderful or terrible things.

I've digressed, but the original article kept lingering in my mind, then began spreading out to more distant connections.  For instance, the way that women found ways to create while tending to never-ending daily tasks -- like re-using fabric to make quilts, then finding ways to make these mundane articles beautiful.  Cooking and gardening and other tasks that were necessary and time-consuming, in the hands of some individuals, also became creative in unexpected ways.

The main thesis of the the original article remains valid, some sense of uninterrupted time is beneficial to the creative process.  Virginia is also correct that money and a "room of one's own" make creative endeavors easier.  But it is also true that we don't always recognize and appreciate the creativity involved in even the most basic functions of existence.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Here are some crafty decorating ideas that I'm gonn' be hijackin' someday soon.  So simple, so accessible, so in the local Dollar Store or Good Will, and so in my kitchen:

 From Two Twenty One -- Thrifty Hurricane Tutorial














 

 From Family Chic -- well, just about EvEryTHinG...but check these out:  Apple Bombs & Apple Candlesticks  -  yes, you will be seeing these here because I'm in love with both of them.

The Creative Spirit

 I've been back to my morning sadhana for over a week now.  December saw shorter practices and many skipped mornings, but once again, yoga is the first thing I want to do in the morning.   I love the stretching and limbering up, the concentration on deepening my inhales and lengthening my exhales.

About a year and a half ago, my morning practice settled into a routine sequence that works for me--lots of time in warming up and plenty of time cooling down.  No rushing.  Sometimes asanas are added or subtracted according to my mood and sometimes I incorporate  "vignettes" (not full-fledged vinyasas) from Desikachar, Gary Kraftsow, Shiva Rea, Sean Corne, Mark Stephens, and others.  Mostly I sink into my own routine with variations.

I love my night classes, but my morning practice is most important because it establishes a basis for my entire day--my mood, my energy level, my sense of alertness and well-being.

I was pondering the fact that my morning sadhana takes from 60 to 90 minutes most days, which is a lot of time, but surprisingly, I get more done if I do a longer practice.  It also occurred to me that I'm more in the mood for creative activities when my morning begins with a good practice.

The creativity may not be in the area of sewing or crafting, but in any area. 
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What kinds of things inspire your creative spirit?

Reading blogs, magazines, reading a poem or a beautiful novel, music, looking at photographs, viewing fine art, examining primitive or folk art, typography, fairy tales, fashion, nature, exercise?

  Eating a good meal inspires my husband's urge to create because he is a good cook.  Watching children can inspire the photographer, artist, writer, or almost anyone.

What gets you in the mood to create?  I've already mentioned that if I do my morning sadhana (personal yoga practice), I'm more likely to feel energetic and full of ideas than if I don't.  Visiting a beautiful blog  might spark an idea for a project or technique that is completely different from what the blogger is writing about, but something about the atmosphere inspires me to make something I consider beautiful.

Remember that William Morris quote?  "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to beautiful."

 Our ideas of what is considered beautiful differ;  what is important is that we believe an item to be beautiful.  Morris doesn't tell you what is beautiful, he doesn't try to proscribe your taste,  he only says that you should believe the thing to be beautiful.

Sometimes when I view a gorgeous home dec blog, I am inspired by an ambiance of beauty; even if the objects or colors are not what I would choose for myself, I still appreciate the sense of grace, serenity, vibrancy, or good cheer communicated by an image.  An image can inspire a mood.

It might be a beautiful quilt or piece of fabric art that makes me want to create something I love.  It might a small vignette in a corner of a room that makes me smile, or a bit of crafty goodness.  Sometimes an image, a quote, or a comment will just lift my creative spirit.  Maybe I don't even take action at that time, but simply file it away in a corner of my brain for later.

Here is an example of something that inspired Francoise--the cheerful colors of candy wrappers.  Do you sometimes see an object that has a color or shape or texture that sends you to your sewing machine or craft supplies?  Some aspect of the object revs up the creative impulse, even if you don't know how you will use it or even if you will.

For me that impulse is often cultivated by little natural artifacts (moss, lichen, acorns, seeds, twigs), vintage or found items, or fabric or lace scraps.

And Jude (and all of her "What if...?" musings) ponders a lid to a coffee can   A visit to Spirit Cloth can force you to slow down, admire, and appreciate the creative spirit at work.

Terry Windling's art, her blog, and her music choices can be a wonderful way to get in the creative mood.  She did a series of posts on the view from your window and another on your desk that had friends from all over the world sending in the views from their windows and pictures of their work spaces.  Since most of her friends are artists of some kind, it was fun to see the responses.

I digress. . Let me return to you.  What kinds of things inspire your creative spirit?

Thimble Earrings, Anyone?

Oh, you quilters...looking for a little sewing-themed jewelry?  How about this necklace by Mary Elizabeth Doyel?  It would be perfect for anyone who sews and for attending events like a quilt market!   You can also find her things at Earth Angels.  I like these thimble earrings...

Bryce Eleanor stayed with us on Tuesday night, and is back again tonight.  Tuesday night, Amelia goes to her class, but tonight is KK's birthday, and all the girls were getting together to celebrate. 

It works out well, since Fee is going to "school" tomorrow anyway for the Dad & Donuts celebration for Father's Day.  Chris is in Iraq and can't make it, so Granddaddy will be the male figure for the occasion.

She had orange jello for dessert and spent a lot of time and effort getting the jello on the spoon.  She also walked around with the cat tunnel around her neck when she wasn't hauling Edger.  Stinker amazed us by jumping in the bathtub with her!  She was in and out quicker than a flash and a very surprised cat.

Amelia got a DVD from Chris the other day, and he read 3 books to Bryce Eleanor who has watched it over and over.  What a wonderful way to keep in touch with family.

Frenchified

I've been awaiting the arrival of this pocket (which I won at Rhonda's Friday Give-Aways) to arrive so I could share it with you!

Inside the pocket, all kinds of delightful ephemera.  Rhonda is in love with all things French and has a beautiful blog, A Little Bit French, and an Etsy Shop.  Check Rhonda's blog for her Friday Give-Aways and maybe you will be receiving some sweet mail!  Thanks, Rhonda, I love my pocket!

I, too, have a decided fondness for some French things, especially Max and Mila, my half-French grandchildren and sympathize with their French grandparents who don't get to see them very often.

Have a great day!

Tuesday Thoughts

Today, my Creative Every Day project will be to change this memo board. (click to enlarge)

It has been this way for the better part of two or three years with only a few things changed or rearranged, and many things just added over something else. I stopped looking at it for the most part, even though it is right over my computer desk area.

Later, maybe I'll get around to the design boards which suffer from the same neglect.

I've spent a good bit of time thinking about the Creative Every Day Challenge.

First, I love the freedom from restrictions, the broad interpretation of creativity, the idea that the challenge allows such freedom of expression. I can sew, embroider, doodle in my journal, pursue my Renaissance Mind self- challenge, try a ballet class, try a new recipe...

Second, I am inspired, amused, dazzled, and uplifted by the creativity I've seen on various blogs.

Third, I don't feel pressured, but empowered and stimulated. The challenge makes me examine some of the different aspects and expressions of creativity and to appreciate areas in my own life that can be considered creative (by my own personal lights).

In a way, the challenge is to become aware of things we may not have noticed and to look for different, even small ways to express creativity.

Creativity has become, in a few short days, less about what I produce and more about an appreciation of opportunities. It is a way of looking and a way of thinking...

I'm grateful for this epiphany because it is making my life more interesting, more fun. Two words that I'm associating with "creative" -- "imaginative" and "fertile."

On a slightly different note, I'm often surprised about the importance and impact of semantics. It happens over and over, and I should not be surprised, but I frequently am. Especially in the interpretation or connotation of a particular word.

For example, discipline or self-discipline as opposed to commitment. I have great difficulty with self-discipline, but when I make a commitment (and I usually give commitments serious thought), the emotional impact on my psyche is much more positive.

Sometimes, my husband (or daughter or friend) makes a statement with which I initially disagree, only to discover within moments that my objection is to the connotation of one word. That connotation can change an idea completely for me, so I must be careful of quick judgment.

Another example-- the other day Kim used the word ritual instead of habit. Creating rituals seems so much more desirable than changing habits!

Spending a certain amount of time committed to developing new rituals appeals to me; disciplining myself to change bad habits makes me look for excuses. The first statement seems creative, the second restrictive.

The concept behind each set of words may be the same, but my response is not.

Jan. 6- A Year of Living Your Yoga: Trust yourself first.

Weekend Plans & Disruptions

The sock doll is on hold while I consider her face. Below is the embroidery project I'll take with me this weekend for CED. If I work on either the doll or this project, my week of CED should be assured.


Yesterday was pretty much all Bryce Eleanor...but what fun!
Today, after delivering Miss Bryce to her parents, we will be heading to Baton Rouge to see Erin, Mila, and Max.

I've almost finished reading Chakra Yoga by Alan Finger, founder of The Yoga Zone and Be Yoga. Of course, I've spent more than just the 20 minute sessions (recommended by The Vigourous Mind) in reading and taking notes, and now will be taking a little break from it to let some of the information settle.

Two documentaries from Netflix have arrived; hope to watch them next week. Since there are so many great documentaries offered, I can tell I'll be watching more than two a month.

Jan.3- A Year of Living Your Yoga: We are not seeing a situation as it truly is if we have expectations. "The next time you are involved in a conflict, notice how you want things to turn our your way. Ask yourself, How would this be and what would I say now if I could see what the other person sees? "

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Bryce is down for a nap, and there has been a change of plans. The trip to Baton Rouge has been canceled as a result of the bad weather that is moving in from Texarkana to New Orleans.... I'll have to wait another week to see Mila and Max.

What an entertaining activity...

Anything else in there?

A Brand New Year

In keeping with the Creative Every Day challenge, I'm going to do a little something on this sock doll today. It has been neglected for quite a while because when I couldn't get it done in time for Christmas, it just got shuffled under stuff. You know the kind of stuff I mean, all those things that end up cluttering every spare surface in your studio or sewing room.
Amelia went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and bought canvases and scrapbook paper on sale. She then proceeded to make these adorable collages for Bryce Eleanor's playroom, which in a previous incarnation was known as the dining room.

I just love this owl!

Both of my daughters love creating, but with small children, demanding jobs, and the mundane chores we all must see to, there is not a great deal of time. They do, however, appreciate and enjoy that time when it does occur!

My New Year's wish for them is more time to spend in creative endeavors--which, of course, includes creatively entertaining and guiding their children.

Kaizen! ("改善, Japanese for "continuous improvement" is a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life") by taking baby steps and is what Ingrid Cummings recommends in her book The Vigorous Mind. Will I ever let up?

Nieces Katie and Megan have a hefty dose of that creative gene; Katie makes the most delightful and humorous cakes, while Megan paints, draws, makes books, and more.

The joy in all of this: that "flow," that being in the "zone" which occurs when you are working on something you love. It can be cooking, gardening, sewing, quilting, embroidery, or mountain climbing, biking, tennis, or using your people skills, teaching, learning.

Aren't all of these things creative?

From A Year of Living Your Yoga:

Living well is not about being calm; it is about being present.