Weekends...

It was a pretty quiet weekend. Maybe it was too quiet. By Saturday afternoon, I found myself in a mental funk. Everything I had attempted to do was not cooperating, internet was out, taxes were taxing, traffic was chaos, spent a good deal of the day chauffeuring my daughter about while her car is waiting on body parts from her wreck last week. A Saturday should not be a day of drudgery.

So, I took a step back. Had a glass of wine, took a deep breath and vowed to have a more productive day on Sunday.

Sunday morning was sunny and warm for February. My dear husband made breakfast. Down the stairs I go to do laundry and play in my workroom. I added the casters to both sewing desks and organized my wallpaper by scale. I may actually be able to find wallpaper when I actually need it and not come across it accidentally six months later. Amazing! I used my label maker and label the shelves with wallpaper. Then, heady with my accomplishment, I organized both sewing desks! Insanity! I can find my extra bobbins and needles and was amazed with how many I had bought. Fabric was organized by color and type. Labels were made and adhered.

I feel rejuvenated. Anything is possible. I can dream the impossible dream and gasp -finish a project. So I sit myself down and start working on my 1” inch scale “Ivy Cottage” from the E-3 2002 President’s Retreat in Atlanta. Yes, I said it; I’ve been working on this stupid, little box since 2002. I finish my wiring, and miracle of miracle, it works! I cover the outside of the box and VOILA, a finished project!

Now, I’m nervous - the whole thing was simple and pain free. I was able to complete this a little too easily and a little too quickly. All my supplies were where they belonged. Scissors were together, glue in its proper place, papers neatly stacked. I had wasted no time wandering about the house gathering supplies together or going to the store to buy a duplicate of something I already owned. Do I dare tempt fate and try it again?!

Giggling foolishly, I pick up my Oval Office from the September Houseparty and began covering my couches. The silk did not ravel. I managed to not get more glue on me than on the couches. Accessories were placed easily and except for a half second when I couldn’t find the tiny glass stopper for the decanter all went smoothly. (The darn thing is so tiny; I couldn’t see it in the box!)


Two, count them, two finished projects in one day with no cursing involved. I knew then I had to stop while I was ahead. It was fairly early in the afternoon and I had the time to work on my Christmas box but no way was I going to tempt fate again. I put my tools away (so I can actually find them next time) and went to watch some TV. Drat, darn cable is out. That’s okay, with my new attitude I can watch a DVD.

Who knows, this clean workroom thing may actually have an impact on my ability to finish projects and my life in general. I may become productive and finish those projects that have been lying about and begging me to finish them. All the parts and accessories gathering dust as they patiently wait. Tonight I may even dare to work on my Christmas box.

Inspiration

What is this about? Nothing since October and now I’m a blabber mouth posting daily or twice daily.

I guess it was the holidays. Or maybe I was mentally fried. Or perhaps it was all the additional work going on with training of two new employees or the well had run dry. Is that possible? Can you run out of inspiration?

What is this thing called inspiration? It is a question that is being discussed this month on Quarter Connection – what inspires you -- a container, a kit? I haven’t responded to the question on QC because I’m not entirely sure how to respond. What doesn’t inspire me would be easier to answer.

It can be the color of a leaf as the sun shines through it, a container that can be used in a new way, a swatch of fabric, a smell, a taste, a memory, a photograph, a story, a line from a song, a fragment of an overheard conversation, a movie, a news story, anything and everything can be inspiration.

Do I act on all of these inspirations? No, I mean, there isn’t enough time or energy to do so, but I can explore them mentally and discard what isn’t needed and squirrel some away for future use or adaption. I have notes and sketches to remind me later, bits and pieces of ideas that may not see the light of day but are there dancing about the edges of my mind.

Time in a bottle….

Showing my age again, I’m sure, but I always liked the song “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. I’ve been thinking a lot about time this week due to the planning of my sister’s 50th birthday party with my niece. As a part of the planning, I have been digging out old photographs of my sister, and I have to say, laughing at the styles.

This one of my sister and I was taken on the first day of school in 1971 when I started kindergarten. She was 12 and I was 4 and a blonde. And no clue what was about to happen to me or the many directions my life was going to take. My sister’s dress has turtles on it. Very styling! She was pretty cool for a big sister. She walked me to class and made sure I was okay.

Then the pictures progress in photographs and in my mind - other first days of school and with me, I was always at a different school. Sometimes I attended more than one school per year. I was always the new kid with something to prove. It was tough at the time but looking back it helped me too.

Now I’m 42 and starting to gray. I color my hair red and brown and dirty blonde and whatever else strikes my fancy. I’m never afraid to meet new people now. I feel fairly confident in who I am and what I believe and what I think. I like to think I am still open to change and possibilities and I realize there is more to life than the life I am leading now. And there is always the opportunity to grow. I’ve watched my own daughters go through school and face first days and now they are both in college which feels weird but good.

While in the throes of raising my daughters, I always thought my job as a parent was to put myself out of a job. In other words, to raise independent children who could stand on their own two feet and for the most part I feel I have been successful. They really are independent - one living far away in Kansas City, Missouri where she is in her Junior year at Kansas City Art Institute as a sculptor major and the other living at home but working and attending college at Greenville Technical College and taking care of herself.

As I look again at the picture of myself on my first day of school, I have to wonder what was going through my mother’s mind when she took this picture. And as I look at my daughters I am so proud of both of them – of their abilities and capabilities and their success in the world and the young women they have become, and I am overwhelmed by how time has moved along.

This morning my youngest called me at work to say she had been in a car wreck -- a fender bender. It was nothing really. No one was hurt except the cars, but it got me to thinking again. Time is short and anything could have happened but thankfully didn’t and perhaps some day she too will have children and they will drive and call her scared and upset about a fender bender and she will be reminded how short time can be but usually isn’t and be as grateful as I am that there is still more time to capture.


Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce – 1972

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that Id like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I’d save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I’ve looked around enough to know
That you’re the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I’ve looked around enough to know
That you’re the one I want to go
Through time with

New Year, New Beginning, New Opportunity to finish a project….

I’m still working on re-doing my workroom and trying to catch up on some old projects that have been languishing and gathering dust. I am so close to finishing several projects but just need that extra push to do so. One of my goals for the year is to do just that, finish a project a month (or at least a kit!) before I start anything new.

Ahh, the best laid plans of mice and men. So it is a month after New Years and okay, so I’ve started some new projects. But in my defense, I have finished some projects as well. I’ve included some pictures of my M.E. dome that my club, Mini-GAME, did some time back. I’m just not a Mary Englebreit fan. The colors, the style, it just doesn’t do it for me. But I did the dome to be a team player and was happy to have finished something and pleased with it in spite of the red and yellow folk art decor. I’m NOT going to be a “Chair of bowlies” (or whatever the saying is) fan by any means but hey, a finished project is a finished project.

I finally took pictures of my sewing corner. I haven’t done any projects in 1” in some time so that made it interesting. I need to add the transformer because the light on the sewing machine works! Love that! My next 1” project is to finish my lighthouse so that I clear out some boxes of accessories and furniture I have set aside for it. I’m finishing the wiring and need to handle the wall covering on the second floor and then decorate. I may build a table for it to set on as well.

I also finished my beach house, “Sea Chelles” from Suzanne and Andrews that I bought way back at the first Greenville Small Scale Houseparty. At least, I thought I finished it. Then I realized I had a clothesline I wanted to install in the back. And then the clothesline needed clothes on it…you know I have a hard time finishing anything I actually like. There is always one more thing to add! It is sort of like the children’s book “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” where one thing leads to another. That is me with minis. I “finish” them but then discover that there’s one more thing so they are never finished. Pictures are of my house and front yard and the now unfinished clothesline in the back yard. A project to finish this weekend I hope. Really. I’m going to finish this house. At least, until I find another cool accessory it needs…

I’m still working on my Gold and White Christmas box (the Quarter scale version of Brooke Tucker’s Golden Christmas) that our club started in December 2007. Fortunately, I’m not alone as Saturday before last we had an all-day club meeting at Janet’s house and everyone but Donna was working on theirs as well. Donnas’ was finished and looked great!

I’m determined to finish it as well. Of course, my box couldn’t be Gold and White. I went with Red and Green. I used papers from Robin Betterley in a red toile and red stripe and with the green marble of the fireplace a theme was born. Okay, so a red and green theme for a Christmas box isn’t exactly a stretch of the imagination but I am pleased with how it is turning out so far. I have most of my furniture kits and have started building them as well. I think it will all be adorable and will post pictures as I progress.

Then, I have my Christmas Toy Shoppe – “Stuff Your Stockings” which is painted and wallpapered with windows in place. It only needs the interior trim, shelving and counters built and the outside porch finished. Of course I have to make all the toys too but I have several kits waiting to be made including an adorable Karen Benson car table with tiny cars on a track. I’m sure I will go blind painting the details on the cars. I purchased a couple of toy soldiers from Lexmark that light up, and they will be placed on either end of the porch. I think that will really make the shop look great.

I’m also thinking all things French since I am desperately hoping to go to the Salt Lake City Small Scale “A Weekend in Paris – La vie en Rose.” I have an idea for a couple of roundtables that I am creating prototypes for, and there is the Quarter Scale On-line Convention. I’m busy finishing my tote bag favors for that, too.

Of course, there are still all the plans being made for a Mini-Weekend in Spring 2010 at Unicoi with a Bavarian Village theme. I’m the co-chair for this event and so excited over all the possibilities for this project I can hardly stand it! This much excitement and I haven’t even seen the prototype yet but I know it will be great since it is being designed by Cat Wingler, Debbie Young and Jane Payne – the dynamic trio!

New Year, New Beginning, New minis to create, Mew mini friends to meet…