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Last day of January....how are you doing on your To-Do list? I'm moving like a snail on my self-imposed goals. It's ok. There is the real-life stuff we have to get done, then there are the things we kinda hope get done. I saw this slogan in a magazine ad and it fueled my fire. Turn To-Dos into Ta-Das. How's that for motivation?
Maybe you don't have a To-Do list, but that shouldn't stop you from starting a Ta-Da list!
I just noticed that O is the fifteenth letter of the alphabet, and X is the twenty-fourth. Are you getting what I'm getting? 1 + 5 = 6 and 2 + 4 = 6. HCIT?
Tuesday night I took Fallon to a local record store so she could see Leathermouth. They performed, and then signed cds for the fans. (Fallon's favorite band is MCR so she had to go meet Frank!) Can you imagine my face when I saw the title of the album - XO?!!! I flipped it over and pointed out to the band that XO became OX, and of course they recognized it for the Year of the Ox. Aren't I such a goon?
I wouldn't have known about the event if it wasn't for my friend Leci who kept us in the loop. We had a fun night with her and Jess, and guess what she brought me? A t-shirt from Finland! Yes, I was a jealous wreck that she and three other friends got to see HIM in FINLAND on New Year's Eve, but I got a t-shirt!!! Not just any t-shirt, it's a badge of honor for any HIM fan that goes to Finland. I won't tell you what it says because if you don't know then you don't need to know. (Shhhh, don't tell if you know).
A few other X&Os on my table.....with Valentine's Day around the corner there is much bounty, it's hard to resist. But do visit Pacokeco on Etsy if you need some of the cool tags.
In the current crusade we are looking at shapes. I love obsessing over them because once you have an awareness of a fave shape you tend to see it everywhere. Trying on a new shape is like putting on new glasses - oh! the things you will see. Like the shapes, these letters are finding me. Love that. ox
I love when you connect, when you make a connection between seemingly unrelated things. Like this: two horned friends in a watermelon boat, and the Chinese New Year. Huh? I'm not sure what came first in my mind. I was taking a photo of this lovely gift from Lisa, and I think that's when it all came together. I thought of these guys as two buddies, sisters or friends, riding along in their little watermelon boat. Keeping each other company on their voyage to who knows where, maybe China?
You know that Lisa sent me this gorgeous and meaningful deer friend earlier, so I was drawn to the deer and didn't really notice the ox. It clicked that tomorrow begins the Chinese New Year, the year of the Ox. And then I made the connection - ox equals OX, as in Hugs and Kisses. Right? So how cool is it to have the deer, a loving sign from my sister, riding tandem with Hugs and Kisses? Very cool.
Another connection: the other night my fortune cookie told me "Spirit guides accompany you" and the back was the Chinese word for "watermelon". I know, hcit! My favorite Ugly Doll, found earlier this year:
Make this connection: The Year of the Ox, can be the year of OX.
Tina sent this card for Christmas. She gets me, and knows I would be so touched by the deer. Inspired by her beautiful card, I wanted to make some pages so I could place it in my journal. That's why I was taking photos of falling snow at night - I was somehow compelled to set the deer in a faux snowy woods scene. The journaling, which you can't see, tells the story of my friendship with Tina, the significance of the deer, and the meaning behind the snow, and the captured orb that looks like a wink. A family friend told us recently that when she was watching over us as little kids she had asked my brother and sister and I what we might want to be if we couldn't be people. My sister chose a snowflake. Layers of storytelling. I think of this as a triple wink page. Love that.
A beautiful, slow falling, silent, large flake snow blanketed the day. Perfect for staying in on a day off, watching. It wasn't until evening that I tried to snap a few photos for a journal page I'm working on. Snow, like fireworks, is hard to catch on film. The gloriousness can't be freeze-framed like a smile or a flower. But we try anyway, to remind us of the experience. What we see through the viewfinder isn't always what we get in print. Sometimes there is an unexpected surprise.
Today you can finally pick up your E.A. Poe stamps, or as my friend Carrie cleverly named them: Poe-stage. And speaking of clever, how about those gloves? A gift from Lisa at Christmas. The figure came a while ago. She gets me.
Last month I confessed to being a packrat, and that I would gladly take your used postage from holiday cards. Several packages arrived with a bounty of loveliness. Thank you Inge, Gabriele, Debbie, and Seth! I'm such a lucky girl!
If you are in the NJ/NY area, don't forget ComicCon is here February 6 - 8.
See? Wasn't it obvious that my word found me? Rise. Looking & moving upWARD.
New word = new tools. Stencils and stamps with my default comfort palettes. This counts for Crusade No. 27 ~ Shape Up! A new shape that I'm running with.
I love it that you figured it out. All the guesses were good. Thanks for chiming in. You Get me.
I'm not one to 'pick a word' for the new year. However, this year, one came to me. Don't you love when that happens? When you least expect it, there it is. I have been working on some journal pages to wrap up and document thoughts, and processes, and evidence from '08. I looked back through my journal and there are a lot of roses. The year began with red roses, but ended with pink ones. I know that roses will always be a favorite image and will continue to show up in my work, my studio, and my home. One of my defining words for 2008 would be *rose*. And there it was, my word for 2009......
My friend Kathryn presents a prompt on her Soul Journal site to discover your defining word or words. It's a worthy exercise, to esteem toward something, to attempt at achieveing something, so set the course for '09. As I said, I don't usually define myself until the end of the year. But *rose* led me to *_ _ _ _*. I used the word in my last two posts (oops, 2 of the last 3 posts). That's how I knew the word came to me. It was an obvious choice to claim it, and has several meanings for me - creatively, spiritually, and cleverly. Can you guess what it is?
I am just about finished writing my thank-yous for the pink socks. Nearly 300 cards are going out. Back in July this project offered me many gifts. For one, it was therapy - a distraction that kept me busy every day. I look back at the photos on my blog from that time and they are filled with vibrant color and sunlight. You can imagine it was a joy to be surrounded by the outpouring of love. It was a time when I didn't even want to get out of bed, but running to the post office became a daily ritual, and not only got me moving, but filled my heart. You divided my grief by taking some of it on, by sharing it with me. The support you offered by participating in the Pink Wink really carried me through a tough time. The act of sending me socks will never be forgotten because I *get it* that it was more than just meeting a goal.
On Saturday it will be six months since Shannon left us. I feel her absence. The holidays were hard. Turning over the calendar page to 2009 was hard. I didn't plan the timing of it but taking on the assignment of writing thank yous right now was perfect. It has been good therapy to revisit your names, to write you messages, to re-live the tremendous goodness that came from your winks, at this time when the sadness weighs on me. Again, you help me rise.
So I looked at last year's post of Epiphany and saw I had used chess pieces. Chess imagery remained a focus for me during '08. In this October post I reviewed how the images have shown up in recent work, as well as past stuff. I recognize that I have a portfolio of favorite shapes that turn up in my art - like this new fave which I don't have a name for yet. (I think of it as a Byzantine tower, but need a catchier title.) I think being obsessed with certain shapes is a good thing. There is alot to learn by studying a shape, and reinventing how to use it.
I just posted the new Crusade - Shape Up! where I challenge you to take on a new shape this month. Investigate it in both positive and negative, and in several sizes. Make your own tools with the shape - like cutting stamps and stencils. It's a great excuse to get some pages done in your journal. And I promise you, you will learn something. AND you'll have fun seeing how others interpret the challenge. It's a new year, why not Shape Up? Come play along on the team.
Congrats to recent winners Julie Thornton (Crusade No. 26 - Scent of the Season) and Kim Mailhot (Crusade No. 25 - Properties of Gesso). It's really fun to take on a creativity prompt with a community of artists who are all working on the same thing. We learn so much from each other, and widen the circle of friends.
Check out these cool zips! I scored the turquiose one (in the banner) for a friend and found out I was Elaine's first etsy sale! Check her out, but save a red rose for me! Love those hearts. Perfect for your Valentine.
I had a few rings made for myself from Alicia. Is there a word or two you need? Order one up! And how about that Wink? HAD to have it, made by Heather.
My friend Anne found a great "Get You" gift - a watch with the Big Ben face! HCIT? We were in England together a few years back. OMG, nearly 25 years ago!
And a special ornament - I found it at TJ Maxx. When I saw the packaging I scooped it up as it reminded me of the Angel Shannon gave me one year. When I read the message on the wing I knew it was for me. Now that my ornaments are safely put away I will hang this on my dresser mirror with the angel, to remind me to Rise.
