Inspiration 

- something that makes someone want to  do something 

 -a force or influence that inspires someone

 I went to see The Nutcracker Ballet at the Academy of Music again this December. I have gone so many times now that it is hard to keep track of exactly how many times I have seen it. This year was a little different because instead of watching and thinking "Wow those ballerinas are beautiful!",  I thought "I want to be a beautiful ballerina!"  I could not let go of that thought despite the inherent delusion in a soon to be 50 year old woman becoming a ballerina. 

So I ordered a ballet dvd.

which I have been using faithfully so that some day soon I can look like a ballerina and wear a tutu!

Christmas Truly

I

Sometimes The Angels Are More Serious Than I Am...

I had an accident this past summer. A serious accident that could have left me dead. It didn't though. I stood up and I woke up. I have made so many changes since that fateful day. Changes born of gratitude for being alive and well. Yes, the angels were serious! Thank God!

You Can't Sparkle on a Credit Card

I am just going to say it...I live beyond my means.

 For most of my adult life, I have indulged my wants with easy credit.

 Consequently, I have also payed for many a need with a credit card too.

I have lovely things.

None of my things help me go back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about which bill I have to pay and which one can wait.

I started to make a change this year but old habits die hard.

I am ready.

I am starting with a budget

and help.

YNAB

Caught in the Polar Vortex

In his book OH the Places You"ll Go, Dr. Suess' whimsical thesis on life, he describes the uselessness of a life spent in anticipation rather than living:

" Waiting for the fish too bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting,perhaps, for their Uncle Jack
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting."


These weeks spent between winter's end and true spring are the most difficult for me. This winter with its' unrelenting cold and snow has been a difficult.  Another big storm will be arriving tonight. There are however some hints of spring. The songbirds are singing in the morning and sun is up when I leave for work at 6:45 am. My side of the planet is tilting back towards the sun! Spring will come!

Waiting for spring to arrive, or
just waiting to see what has survived
or waiting for winter to be spent
or waiting for the lilac's scent
or waiting for the leaves to pop
or just waiting for the rain to stop
or for the sun to shine,
or the smell of basil, lavender and thyme
I am just waiting.

Words to Live By

“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - See more at: http://www.movemequotes.com/10411/#sthash.VUUnwbc6.dpuf

              Kurt Vonnegut

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - See more at: http://www.movemequotes.com/10411/#sthash.VUUnwbc6.dpuf

Winter

Winter is a time to rest and reflect.
And count your blessings...

Tasty soup
Fluffy slippers
Snow days
Warmth of a fire
Snow Boots
Soft blankets
Flannel pajamas
Early morning quiet
A cozy home

Ode To Electrcity

Thou source of so many things beautiful.
I have taken thee for granted
What folly to not understand the depths
Of my dependence.
How powerful it is to banish the night.
Laugh in the face of bitter elements
And cold toilet seats.

Ever after I will be your bold lover.
I will sing your praises
With a fervor otherwise unknown
And not grieve again.
Generator singing in the night.
Illuminations of joy
And warmth to all my nether regions.

After the ice storm on Wednesday, we lost power for 60.5 hours.

Dark is bearable. Bitter cold is not.

Snow Day

 Unexpected snow days are a gift.

I got to sew all day long yesterday.

 

I have had this Cori Dantini fabric panel for a long time.

My mind has been on angels a lot lately 

so I decided to use this fabric to make a quilted bag. 

It took all day long. 

A seam ripper was employed more than once.

I might have cursed a little.

But I finished it and I love the results.

 

My daughter laughed at me when I first told her my idea.

When I was finished, she declared it adorbs.

She wants me to make her one!

Becky Homecky

I like to think of my self as an accomplished sewer but the reality is that most of the things that I sew look homemade.  

When I began sewing again after almost a 20 year break, I remembered the basics but that was it. I was so excited to be creating again (thank you Project Runway) that I didn't give much thought to whether my results looked as good as they could.

I have a more critical eye now, and with practice my sewing is getting better.  

I look forward to the day when can I wear my own creation to work and no one asks me "did you make that?"

Fabric as Art

Macrina Busato- "Handmade" by Windham

I adore fabric, and I buy way too much of it.

My Pinterest board fabric lust has saved me from certain bankruptcy.

When my favorite online store Hawthorne Threads send out their newsletter, I now mostly just pin the latest fabrics that I love, and then go back and admire them periodically.

Still all too often, there are certain new fabrics that I just can't resist adding to my collection.

Fabric panels with graphics that catch my imagination often fall in this category.

Luckily, fabric panels are also easy and  inexpensive way to add art to your walls.

Sparkle - to shine brightly with flashes of light

I woke up again to life's true possibilities this past year through change and struggle.

For years, I lived in a neighborhood where I was unhappy. Every year brought more and more changes few of them good.

Fear kept me stuck in place.

Finally, concern for my children's education  and safety was the final catalyst that propelled me forward into a new life.

In May of 2013, I moved into my dream home.

Fear woke me up, but hope is propelling me forward.

This is my chronicle of my journey to back to my sparkle.

Thank you free pretty things for my lovely banner.