full of...

my little fat leather journal is almost full...just one signature left.  i think this is the first time i have ever filled one up.  i have a lot of half full journals on my shelf.  but there is just something about this one.  the thick, rugged pages and the earthy smell of leather every time i open it, the way it's starting to bulge with all of its' goodness.  every page is filled with oozing, drippy, drappy paint, scribbly, scrabbly sketchings, torn and glued scraps of old papers, special bits of string and thread and fabric.  and words.  beautiful, wonderful heartfelt words...

teeny, tiny...

i love teeny, tiny things.  don't you?  i have all these little scraps of leather that i can't bear to throw away.  leftovers from journals.  so i'm dreaming up teeny, tiny things to make with them.  today, i made these teeny, tiny book earrings.  so cute.  i'm working on a teeny, tiny pouch necklace as well.  that design is taking a bit longer, but hopefully i'll have something to show you soon.  i'm squeezing all of this teeny, tiny creating into the teeny, tiny moments i make between baseball practice and a knocked out tooth and visits to the dentist and a specialist and an orthodontist.  and track practice and shopping for new running shoes.  and music practice and concerts and shopping for black concert clothes.  oh my.  spring is always so busy at our house.  i'm really looking forward to summer...

out of the mist...

Walk on a rainbow trail; walk on a trail of song, 

and all about you will be beauty.

There is a way out of every dark mist,

over a rainbow trail.

-robert motherwell-

nature can be so inspiring sometimes.  i feel blessed to be able to see scenes like this in my very own backyard.  the little yellow bush is like a beacon of happiness on an otherwise drab day.  and a reminder.  of spring and good things to come...

some days...

be still sad heart and cease repining;

behind the clouds the sun is shining,

thy fate is the common fate of all,

into each life a little rain must fall,

some days must be dark and dreary.

-henry wadsworth longfellow-

an Irish blessing...

for St. Patrick's day...

May the blessing of the rain be on you -

the soft sweet rain.

May it fall upon your spirit

so that all the little flowers may spring up

and shed their sweetness on the air.

May the blessing of the great rains be on you,

may they beat upon your spirit

and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there many a shining pool

where the blue of heaven shines,

and sometimes a star.

-Irish Blessing-

this wonderful little card was made by my friend ellen - a little hopeful surprise that arrived in my mailbox on a day when i really needed some extra blessings.

i twirled...

...and then i got dizzy.  seriously.  i don't think twirling is my thing.

grateful...

i was quite excited this morning to find out that one of my most beloved journals made it to the front page of etsy!  the front page!  a first for me.  and i missed it, of course.  but you can see it on my sidebar.

i feel like i've come so far, since i started this blog a few years ago.  i was so unsure back then and i really had no plan at all.  i recently took some time to reflect back on where i started.  and this blog makes it easy to do that, as it is a record of my journey.  looking back, i realize how much i have learned and grown since then.  and even though i still have moments of doubt and times when i feel uninspired, for the most part, i am happy with this life that i have "crafted" for myself.  and grateful.

i'm grateful for being able to create and share and meet other creative souls through this blog.  really nice souls.  i'm grateful for those of you who read my inconsistent ramblings and keep coming back for more.  and i thought i should tell you that.  because it's nice to know when you're appreciated. so...thanks.

words that make my heart soar...

i took my daughter to one of those frozen yogurt shops the other day - one of those fun ones where you get to choose your flavor or flavors of yogurt and then you move on down the line and choose your toppings from a "topping station".  i was actually feeling a bit guilty.  she had made some brownies over the weekend and after everyone left for school and work on monday morning there was one big fat brownie sitting on the counter.  so what's a girl to do.  i ate it.  later, when she came home, she asked what happened to the brownie.  ummmm, well...oops!  (sad look from her here)  so, a couple of days later, i took her out for a treat to make up for it.  while we were eating, i told her i was really sorry i ate her last brownie.  and she piped up with the most beautiful words a mother can hear from her teenage daughter, words that made my heart soar, "it's ok mom, eating ice cream with you in person is so much better than eating a brownie alone".  profound.

number 454...

tokens of spring...

today, as i was walking, i gathered up a little bouquet for myself.  as i looked around, i saw little flowers and buds sprouting up here and there.  even though our winter this year was very mild, i'm still excited to see these little signs of renewal.  i love these flowers...i think they have an otherworldly look about them and i couldn't resist taking some time out to snap a few pictures.  i hope your spring is starting off nicely as well.