creative little daisy

Let's get some happy up in here!

I wish, my friends, that I could send each and every one of you a great big bouquet of spring blossoms to thank you for your words support and encouragement. Instead I share with you some pretty color from around my yard. Just looking at this vivid display of Gods beauty makes me smile. Today is a bright, sunny day and I'm filled with happy thoughts.  Thoughts like...

Bayleigh learning how to use her hands, and singing about it. She's really begun to take off developmentally. It's an adventure, a very happy adventure watching her to see what she'll do next.

Another happy thought is a memory that popped in my mind this morning. Don't you love when that happens? Out of the blue, a thought or memory creeps into your consciousness and brightens your day. I remembered Alyssa reciting the poem Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary when she was about 3. Her version went something like this...

Mary, Mary, quack-a-terry,
How do your gaaden grow?
With silver bells and taco shells
And pretty mermaids all in a row.

Pretty sweet, huh? If that made you smile, my challenge to you is to pass it along. Share your own happy thought with someone else and spread a little sunshine today!

Hey! I'm on HGTV!

Well, not exactly HGTV, it's HGTV.com- and it's not exactly me on HGTV.com, just my pillow... but still.

Scroll down to the Weekly 6. There she is, my little patchwork pillow, telling folks about Share My Craft.*

Oh, my... does this mean my pillow is a celebrity now? Should I get her an agent? What if she ends up like so many other young celebrities, running about town, partying and flashing what's under her patchwork?  I'm going now to cover her up so the paparazzi can't snap any unflattering photos.

Thank you Stacey for letting me know my little pillow has made her big debut.

*Share My Craft seems to be light on sewing type crafts. ( I did see one familiar name while browsing) All you wonderful quilters, go post some projects. I also noticed there are only a few crocheted/knitted projects, go show off those granny squares ladies!

Bummed about that gut?

If you haven't seen the Peyton Manning Priceless Peptalk commercials, here's a little funny for ya.

Random, disjointed, happier post...

You could call this a tossed salad post or how many nice things can I talk about post or just a post without focus. Either way, what it isn't, is a ranting hormonal post. Thanks for all your supportive and understanding comments. Someone who really is very helpful and quite busy herself was offended and hurt, not at all what I would ever have wanted, so I deleted that last post.
On to happier topics....like freebies, extras, unexpected little surprises. How often does WalMart or JoAnn's throw one of those into your shopping bag? Never? Me neither, but this week I received two different items I ordered online and found delightful extras in both packages.

First was my fabric order from Monkey Foot Designs.

As if this amazing fabric (on sale) wasn't enough of a treat. Love the birds!! Kris also included this reversible apron pattern. Check out Kris' blog for a link to her store that gives you 15% off your order.

Thank you so much Kris!

Then I received this very cool bookmark, ordered from Penny's Etsy shop,

and this was included!

I feel so spoiled! Thank you both so much!

I made an apron yesterday with an owl appliqued linen pocket.

I didn't plan to be wearing an owl tee shirt while making the owl apron. Just a funny coincidence. I don't think you can tell, but the shirt says "I'm a hoot." I just love it! Beth, the shirt came from Journeys, but I don't see it on their website.
On the subject of happy and tees, I found a couple on sale last week (really on sale- less than $3.00 on sale!!) that I'll share when they make it out of Mt. Laundry. More birds.

Anyone else watch Dancing with the Stars? The two finalists were my favorites and I would have been happy for either to win. Congratulations to Helio, what a wonderful smile and delightful personality! I'm just bummed that the season is over. What will I do with my Monday and Tuesday nights?

One more unrelated happy thing- I guess this post does have focus, loose focus, but focus nonetheless- happy things- and happy is always better than grouchy right?  Mitch got a ticket last week- not the happy part, it was for having an expired license tag. Hmmm....I thought I renewed that. Ooops. Anyway, he was N.O.T. happy.  ($150.00 fine)  He went to the courthouse yesterday, ticket in hand and proof that he has since renewed the tag, with hopes that the DA or magistrate or whicheverpowerthatbe would perhaps cut him some slack for this careless oversight on the part of his absentminded wife. It worked. Ticket gone, just like that! Wohooo!!!

Oohhh, while on the subject of happy, have you seen this very special, smile inducing bit of sweetness?  Welcome to the world, sweet baby boy. Congratulations Angela, Ryan and big sister Keely!!

Any happy thoughts you'd like to share?

Faith, Hope, Love.... and Joy.

I know I've said here before, I'm not much of a girlie-girl and I'm not much of a jewelry wearer. I am most comfortable in jeans and a tee. Necklaces are the only jewelry other than my wedding rings (simple bands) that I feel comfortable wearing. Because my uniform is so basic, to keep from being too boring I like an interesting tee, one with a beautiful screen print like the one I'm wearing or a graphic that says something about me. I feel the same about necklaces. I don't want the latest diamond that says "forever" or whatever the diamond industry is pushing as the only way to show how much you love her, until next holiday when they  come out with another way that's the only way. Not for me.  I want something that feels special and has meaning to me. That's exactly the kind of jewelry that Lisa of Lisa Leonard Designs creates. As soon as I came in from the mailbox yesterday and opened the box to find this necklace, I loved it so much I went straight to her website to order another. Something that said JOY.
I've had joy on my mind a lot lately or should I say a lack of joy has been on my mind. I've become increasingly aware that I have been in a bit of a funk for quite a while and am frankly quite exhausted and worn down. I am 39 years old and feel so much older most of the time. Getting to this point has been a gradual process, a slow wearing down of my body and my spirit. If I were to try to pinpoint the beginning of the slow trickle of joy out of my life, it was probably around the time I had to quit working. I was told I would have to have a lung transplant and that my line of work was detrimental to my health. I became more conscious of where I went and who I was around and eventually became more comfortable at home than anywhere else. Once a shop till you drop kinda girl, I cringe at the very thought of going to the mall. So here I am, a stay at home mom at a time when my kids are seeking more and more independence from mom. I have made it no secret, being the mom of teenagers has been the absolute hardest thing I've ever done. We, because it is we going through this, not just me. Mitch and I have been on a roller coaster ride of fear, worry, frustration and heartache for something like 2 years now. When your identity is so tied up in being a mom and suddenly you feel that you have failed at your job. You have failed miserably and you don't get do-overs, it bruises if not breaks your spirit. Anxiety and worry made me finally seek help in the way of medication, but there really is no magic pill in a bottle to heal a spirit. I hate to sound sappy or cliche' but an awakening moment came for me this week watching Oprah.  Like I said, I've been thinking a lot about joy lately. In fact I mentioned a sermon a few weeks ago in which the pastor presented the question, What would your one wish be? What do you most want? I couldn't answer right away, because I really wanted to think if through. Finally I decided what I wanted most, what I felt would be the most beneficial to myself and those I love, was joy. I wrote on a piece of paper I wish for joy and peace.  I don't know exactly how to put to words the feelings I have. It's not like I'm walking around crying all the time. I just know I'm not joyful and I'm not spreading joy.  I guess it's like a low grade sadness... does that make sense? A constant low grade sadness combined with the occasional and usually out of the blue crisis that would result in a more acute sadness.  All of this chipping away more and more of me. More of my awareness of who I was and what I wanted out of life. More of the security that everything will be all right. Slowly and insidiously  joy has slipped from my life. Forced out by the constant feeling of having my guard up to as a defense for my battered spirit.  This has been a hard thing to face. Hard to put to words, mostly I believe because I don't want to inconvenience anyone. That sounds pretty silly doesn't it? I don't ever want to be the reason anyone has to go out of their way, I don't want to be the cause of someone else's upset. I try very hard to keep things on an even keel and just praying that things would just magically get better. You know the old this too shall pass thinking. Never mind that in trying to keep my feelings inside really doesn't work and doesn't benefit anyone. It's a never ending circle of unhappiness. Back to the Oprah thing, she had Dr. Christiane Northrup on her show, a doctor/author who specialized in women's health. She discussed how stress and unhappiness increases inflammation at the cellular level. Most diseases are the result of inflammation. I have two chronic diseases that are inflammatory in nature. So, (and this really isn't news to me, I'm a nurse, but it was the message I needed to hear at this time in my life) all this stress and unhappiness in my life is not only wearing me down spiritually, it's detrimental to my health. Like I said, this is not news to me, I think I've even discussed it here before, but I think what's different is I said it aloud. I may blabber on and on here about feelings, but when it comes to actually speaking- actually saying what's in my heart doesn't come easily for me. It seems nearly impossible to make my mouth form the words and leave my mouth, but I did it. I talked to Mitch and to Alyssa and Casey. I told them I am tired of feeling this way. I'm ready to be a source of joy they can come to. This doctor, the one on Oprah said something to the effect that a being a joyful mother is the best legacy you can give your children. As unhappy as the world can be and as much disappointment as there is out there, everyone needs to know there is a source they can turn for joy. My job of being a mom isn't over. I still have time to spread a legacy of joy and that is my wish. I know I can't do it on my own, I plan to be much more communicative with those I love, to let them know what I need to be happy, because it really is true, if mama ain't happy...and for me, if mama ain't happy, mama ain't healthy. In a few months I'm going to be a grandma, and I have a lot of living left to do, I need my health.  I've made an appointment to talk to someone who's job it is to listen to people whine and help them through it.   My wish is for joy and if I have to work a little bit to find it again, that's work I'm willing to do.
Boy that was probably TMI  just to say I can't wait to get my new necklace, I'm getting the mini circles necklace with the words Joy and Peace, a tangible reminder to myself and everyone I see that joy is my wish.
If you made it through all that, I promise I have some crafty things to talk about. Maybe later today, if I can ever get a good picture.

What's in a name?

I feel much too young to be called granny, but in seven months I'm going to be one. I'd love to hear what your grandchildren call you or what you call your mama's mama. Some suggestions I've made that have been shot down include Sweetie and Veronica. Veronica you ask? Why not? I get to choose a new name for myself, it may as well be a cute one. 

A little disclaimer, for those who may not get my strange sense of humor, I'm joking about Veronica- but it is a great name isn't it?

So much to smile about...

I love it when I have so many happy things to share that I don't know where to begin.Chronological order works I guess. The run of good things hap'nen for Autum started yesterday. I had to make a run... make that a drive, I don't run anywhere. Ever. I had to take a trip to walmart and possibly JoAnn's for interfacing. While out I stopped in a couple of thrift stores. Maybe it's the size of the city, I don't know, but the thrift stores I go to don't have the wonderful vintage treasures I'm tortured with by you bragging, flaunting bloggers. You know who you are, flashing your stacks of tablecloths, showing off your truckload of fabric and trims and I won't even get started on the dishes. No, the coffee cups at my local thrift store usually have the name of a gas station on them. The tablecloths are plastic. Yes, people actually donate torn, dirty, plastic table cloths. Yesterday seemed to be no different. I perused the kitchen section. Nothing. Wandered through the furniture. A toilet seat. Yes, a toilet seat. Didn't bring that home . Nothing in the clothes caught my eye. I was on my way out, feeling let down and defeated but I decided to take a quick look at the books. It was there, in the book section, I had one of those moments. You know the one. I've had such a moment described, but never really experienced myself. That moment when you spot an item so great you gasp aloud, clutch it close and then look around to see if anyone else noticed. Then it dawned on me, to the non sewing population, this was just more junk and no one was interested in ripping it from my hands. I was safe.

.

Guess what? The 70's greatest looks, look pretty good today. And those easy sewing methods are timeless. They will help me as much in 2007 as they did Vernelle in 1975. (her name and phone number are written on the front of the book)

OK, I probably won't be wearing the hat, but those dresses, the headband, the bag.... I'd totally be rocking those. That is if I were cool and hip and rocked anything other than jeans and sweats, but that's a different story.  On to the groovy sewing area.

Could this picture be any more today or what?

It's not just pretty pictures either, there is a ton of info. Timeless tips and techniques.

Did I mention the price? 25 big fat cents!!

Are you jealous? I also found more, not as great, but pretty darn good.

This is a fun little book.

I love this little sewing kit.

Making things from tea towels is nothing new it seems.

This morning I checked my email and had even more happiness coming my way. Kim has a wonderful blog where she features a different crafty blog everyday and today she was featuring Creative Little Daisy. She made me blush with her sweet post about my little blog. Thank you Kim, you are much too kind!

I also got some really, really great fabric in the mail yesterday, but I'm saving that for another post.

So with a big goofy smile on my face, I'm off to see if I can be creative. Happy Thursday to you!!

Signs of spring and other yummy stuff

Signs of spring:

Spring has arrived right on schedule here in Tiny Town North Carolina. It's warm and sunny and little bits of color are popping out around every corner. It has been hard to not to spend the entire day outside soaking in every drop of sunshine. It feels like medicine to a spirit that has been struggling a little with the greyness of winter. (I know my foot is ugly, but it's happy to be naked in the sunshine)

Other yummy stuff:

My buddy LLA came bearing gifts when she visited last weekend. A beautifully knitted scarf that feels as amazing as it looks and a tiara. Follow the link to read the story behind the tiara. Every girl deserves to feel like a princess, even if she does have to mop the floor and clean the toilet.

I love Etsy. Really. I have never been disappointed with a purchase. Recently I had a few dollars in my paypal account so I decided to treat myself with some presents from me.

A chickadee pendant and leather cord from Green Leaf and Owl. How could I resist?

Sweet little bird pincushion from Strawberries and Cream. Too darn cute!!  I seem to have an attraction for all things avian (except the flu of course).

I'm off to find something for dinner that can be cooked outdoors. Happy spring y'all.

I just have to add one more thing. OK, maybe two more things. First the good. LOST.  Did you watch last night? Oh so good!

Not so good? American Idol! Is anyone else wondering exactly who it is that's voting?

Hello, 911? I'd like to report a cleaning.

Why can't this happen to me?