Jill of all Trades-That's Me!

Wondering where I've been, after all my promises of timely blogging? It's been a busy week for me, learning new things. Well, trying to learn new things anyway. After I convinced myself that my interview and tests at a temporary agency would come to absolutely nothing, I got a call and starting a part time receptionist job. In addition to working at the Victorian Dinners, using such skills as wood splitting, fire building, and playing riotous parlor games, I am now also answering phones, filing, scanning, and other duties as needed. On Monday, I will start working a few days as a rental worker at the Farms. They're filming a movie there right now, so several of us are taking shifts. I'm not quite sure what it will involve, but maybe I'll see somebody who is famous. Probably not, but who knows. I am also trying to get some things into my Etsy shop within the next week. In other years, I've enjoyed the relatively quiet winters, with my reduced schedule at the museum, but this year I am trying to fill every available hour with employment. Our hours have been cut, so I will not be full time again until mid-April. Who can even guess what new skills I will have by then? Or how crazy I will be? During my free time, I just can't stay away from all the blogs I'm discovering because of OWOH. I've been trying to visit as many as possible. Have you?

One World One Heart

This is it! The 3rd Annual One World One Heart GiveAway. It get's bigger every year and was the brainchild of Lisa OceanDreamer. It gives us all a way to find hundreds of blogs we haven't seen, and to win beautiful artwork. Who wouldn't want to play? To be a part of it, just click on the One World 2009 logo to learn how to host your own. Even if you don't plan on giving away something yourself, you can still enter to win. Just leave a message on THIS blog post with a way I can contact you. Drawings will be held on February 12.

This year I am giving away one of my "Off the Cuff" bracelets. This one was made from a felted blue sweater cuff, decorated with embroidery, buttons, ribbons, charms, beads, and who knows what! This will fit an average sized wrist and just slides on. Good luck. Remember to leave a message, and who knows, maybe you'll keep reading!!

Future Inspiration Board

Hi,
Thought I'd show you a picture of my Inspiration Board. I'm just starting to add things to it, so I'll show it again when it's really working for me. I have this on a wall behind a door. In the previous picture there was just a bare space there. It's big-about 5 feet tall and 30 inches wide. I found it on a junking excursion. I was really looking for baby bed springs, but found this piece of an old fire escape railing. I can hook things on it with clothes pins or clips. I like it, and of course, my husband (Mr. Neat and Tidy) tolerates it because it is behind a door! He was a little grouchy about it, but he did hang it for me. Actually, this may end up being as much work-in-progress as Inspiration. But it's a start. I know, it needs some help.
One thing I am wanting to do this year is to put my uncompleted projects in bags, with all the needed supplies, and FINISH them. Somewhere I read about doing that, and to only have three things going at once. I have about three hundred, I'm afraid. Anyway, this is one of my aspirations.
I am so appreciative of the comments I have been getting. It is encouraging to know that some of you are reading this. I even splurged and put the new new Followers gadget here. Hopefully, I won't end up embarrassing myself.

Being Who You Are

Sometimes things keep dropping on your head, and finally, you just have to pay attention! The last few days I have been getting the same message over and over. Essentially, it is to be who I am. And to trust my judgement. I've seen several blogs talking about having a theme for the year, so I have decided this is to be my theme for 2009. I'm hoping that this is the year I become comfortable with my own style and follow my instincts. Especially in the art world. I can't even begin to say how many times I've thought about an idea, or abandoned it half finished because I just didn't think it was good enough, only to see it turn up later and be wildly successful for someone else. Does this happen to everyone? So this year I am really looking for and listening to the signs! Here's a couple of quotes that I've just noticed in the last few days: "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
- Howard Thurman. This was mentioned in a newsletter I received from Sally Evans.
An email from my dearest friend, Fleur, basically told me the same thing. I can also count on her to cheer me up when I'm feeling whiny. She reminded me to do my own thing, and not worry about what was popular, or what I thought people might want.
And then I found this quote, which I had written in a notebook eons ago: "Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." (Margaret Young). Another thing: Just when I was thinking that I need to be really specific about my style, and what I want to do, and that I really, really should make an inspiration or vision board--I picked up a magazine, and it naturally opened to a page about inspiration boards!! See, I think it's time to listen.
I got a wonderful surprise from my SilverBella friend, Jodie, of everything vintage. Look here, and you will see she mentions mine as one of the blogs she finds inspiring! And, oh, the company she puts me with. I was thrilled. Jodie is very helpful by keeping me blogging. I tend to get discouraged and lazy when I think no one ever comes to visit.
No pictures, I'm afraid. I think my monitor has died. Anyway something is not working, so I'm on the laptop with no pictures, for now.

Time Again

Well, the holidays are over. Decorations are finally put away, and it's time for some serious creating. I've never put up any pictures of my finished craft room, so here are some when it is relatively neat. Yes, I do have a fixation for drawers. The only problem is, I like to have everything where I can see it when I am working. The best arrangement for me would probably have been lots of open shelves. But my husband-the neat freak-wants everything hidden. The other half of this large room is laundry area and sink and counters. If I had been thinking, I probably would have insisted on a small room with a door so everything could be hidden away. But then I couldn't have had all these wonderful old cupboards. Does anyone remember when we bought the big one? Originally it was in an old school, and then an auto parts shop. We had to cut it into two cupboards to fit the space that we had. Our eyes were bigger than our room at the auction! With this wonderful room, you think I'd be making something, wouldn't you? Big plans for 2009, I promise.