Lil update

Well, after my 3rd day of wearing pink (I'm a black, brown, grey fan, myself) I caught this sp as I headed out for more classes at Creative Escape. Seems I've come home with quite a bit of pink to wear, and little by little it is sneaking into my wardrobe...dang that pink!

My computer has been sluggish (since before I left, actually) and I caught a cold on the airplane home (that's why it's called Airborne, right?!), then I was swept into the frenzy of school mornings, getting Ben from my folks, getting him back into a routine at home (thought he might be giving up naps, like his sister did at 2 years, aaaaccck!), so I haven't had the computer time I dreamed of in the last week or so. I've even had a couple of days without 365 photos of any kind...sp or otherwise!

Seems my priorities have changed up a bit...that's what happens when you give yourself a luxurious creative retreat in Arizona for 4 1/2 days. It's a good thing. I might even give it a try next year...(pssstt...you can sign up for the CE09 registration lottery already...go go go!)

Have to run in a few minutes to meet the school bus...will try to give you a day-by-day Creative Escape update soon!

Catching up before taking off...

E just came up to compliment me on this photo, and I realized it sums up our travel experiences of late.

I haven't been posting for several reasons. First of all, our summer was deathly quiet and boring until about 2 weeks ago. For some crazy reason, we decided we could travel about 2000 miles in the space of 2 weeks...first, to Cincinnati and back, then to Camp Michigania and back. What were we thinking?

I'm going to blame it on my sister...she "took" our usual Fourth of July time at our folks', stretching it into a two week visit so that we could get no time in before (bad weather) or after (folks off sailing for a month).

Then perhaps I'll blame Camp Michigania. That's easy. Well, really it's our fault, for not deciding to go until after their annual lottery (in January...who's thinking of summer vacation in January?! Not us...) We were put on the wait list for Week 10 and Week 11 (the last two weeks of camp).

We got in for both weeks...but couldn't take Week 10, as we'd already planned our trip to Cincinnati, to see friends in from California we'd hadn't seen in 3 years. We were #9 on the wait list for Week 10, we'd never dream we'd get in. Being that we were #1 on the wait list for Week 11, we had a sinking feeling we'd be called up for it, and we were.

Add in the complication of getting Ben to my folks after camp (for my jaunt to Phoenix later this week), and a bout of flu (yes, while at camp) for three of us (Ben, Egor, and me, not all at once, thank God), that left us stumbling into town late yesterday, tired, sick, not ready to unpack and repack and shop and cook for my week ahead.

Look at that countdown clock! Whoo-hoo. I'm hoping to share more pictures soon, but probably not before I take off on Wednesday. Phoenix, here I come!

Guess what his favorite new word is?

223365
Originally uploaded by CreativeExile

Ben, say bottle.
Bot-tle.
Ben, say orange juice.
Orng-jus.
Ben, say supercalifragilisticexpialdocious...
No.
Ben, can you say yes?
No.

The boy is spent.

Busy preparing for CE. Went to look for new luggage today...my rolling carry-on is so small, and the next size up in our luggage collection is HUGE (will weigh 50+ lbs with paper supplies stuffed in there upon my return...), so I need something medium-sized but I want something cUtE, KWIM? God, luggage is ugly these days.

Maybe I'll borrow Tess's cupcake suitcase...

Summer slump

I have just figured out something that bothered me for years. I'm glad I did it before August, when I usually snap over it.

You see, every July I'm at an emotional and physical peak. I'm a summer baby (who turns 42 next month) and I have always loved hot weather. Summer is my absolute favorite season. I love the late summer sunsets, I love all the light, period. I'm on a personal high that doesn't end until October or so.

Creatively, however, I always find myself in a slump. I have all this energy but I can't seem to focus it into amazing projects. I go to a quilt show, and for the first time, I don't buy anything from the vendors. I'm not feelin' it. Perhaps I'm finally realizing I need to use what I've been collecting for 20+ years...just sew the damn stuff, kwim?! But I'm so scattered I just don't find the time. Oh, wait, rotary cutter + sewing machine + toddler = disaster. I'll use that as my excuse (this time...)

Then I take part in an online scrapbooking challenge. Wow! My work really pales in comparison to gals using the latest and greatest (which I have ceased buying to save up for CE08...can't help it). Really, it's embarrassing. My work can't possibly be picked as one of the four weekly winners, and I don't even have the collection they are using for extra "points" in the game, so I have no prayer of winning the Big Prize.

I almost let that get me down today (I went over to Webkinz and took care of my horse -- finally figured out that damn weight lifting class, sheesh!! -- that calmed me down) but perhaps being in my 40s helps put this annoying annual cycle in perspective.

I'm participating in the challenge, that's enough. I know creative mojo comes and goes (right now, for me, it's left the building). It will be back. It's just an online game, and I don't have to put my entire creative ego on the line over it. I'll participate next week, and the week after, even if I don't have a chance of winning, because it's stretching me creatively (even if I don't take it far enough at times). I can be inspired by the winners, by the other folks who participate and *don't* win, because really, most of the creations are truly amazing, given the crazy rules we are handed each week.

Perhaps I need to shift my creative priorities. The quilt show was amazing. It's only held every two years, and the last time I attended I was 7 months pregnant with Ben. In two more years, he'll be nearly four years old. I think I can sew SOMETHING by then, don't you?

Not as lovely as this, but SOMETHING, right?

The Lizzie Quilt
made by Jean Ballou
and Alison Winter
quilted by Crystal Smythe
I had a hard time deciding between this one and a pictorial quilt for my Viewer's Choice...but being that this was made for a six year-old, and had a very sweet dedication, sentiment won over sensibility.

Summer Indoors

I keep a list of all the books I have read in the front of my daily diary, and recently I was AGHAST to learn I've only been averaging 6 books a month. Shameful. Well, it's not like I have a busy schedule or anything...or a toddler ready to crawl all over me, demanding cuddles & tickles (seriously, who can resist?!) every time I collapse on the couch to polish off a chapter or two.

We've been heading to the library every Monday so that Tess can record her books for the week (she's committed to 7 books a week, or chapters of a book, easy enough, for their summer reading program) and get a weekly prize. Last week (when I discovered my lack of reading prowess) I took out a pile of books & got to reading.

So far, I'm enraptured by Gone With The Wind (although I'm having a hard time getting Clark Gable out of my head...such perfecting casting...Vivian Leigh? Not so much...too old). I can only imagine the opinions this work of fiction raised when it was first published in 1936...so different from the narratives then on the market...I think of the depressing and ponderous works of oh, say, Hemingway or Fitzgerald, and find this work flows so much easier...really, the first modern romance novel since Jane Austen (who is ponderous only for the language of her day...I'm sure she was an easier read back in her day).

Many times I really have to get my head into the "voice" of an author (like Jane Austen) before my reading starts flying. I can't believe I'm nearly done with GwtW, a 1,000-pager, in just over a week.

However, the other books are coming due and I need to move on.

In other (probably TMI) news, I went to my OB/GYN doctor for my annual check-up (2.5 years overdue, oops) and found out I have indeed been dealing with a yeast infection...since taking antibiotics at the end of November. The symptoms weren't the usual (that is DEFINTELY TMI), and they were mild enough that I managed to "fight" it for that long.

However, now that it is taken care of, I'm beginning to realize exactly how hard my body was fighting...over the weekend, I felt like a wrung-out dishrag, and last week (before the diagnosis) I had a killer migraine that almost made me vomit. My glands were so swollen that I could hardly swallow (and I'm still dealing with the remains of a sore throat) and overall I was tensed up like a boxer waiting for a hit.

The moral of the story is, get to your doctor A.S.A.P., especially your "female" doctor, if you're dealing with strange symptoms Down Below. I actually had an appointment in June, but had to...ahem..."re-schedule" due to the visit of my Red Haired Friend...okay, definitely TMI.

Crazy knitting

If you are a CE teacher, volunteer, roomie, etc...NO PEEKING.



Oops, too late.

I've heard that some folks give gifts at Creative Escape, and I've been trying to decide what would be appropriate...something crafty, but NOT scrapbooking-related (lord knows we're going to get enough swag, after paying what we've paid for registration)...something from Ann Arbor, to boot...

I started to make these for my three roomies (Renee, Michele, Cendrine) and realized it only takes a day (seriously!) to knit one of these (from One Skein), and felting is oh-so-fun. I can fill them with crop candy (Jelly Bellies and Gummi Bears) and Zingerman's Magic Brownies (will they individually wrap those for me?), put a pretty tag on them and voila! My requirements for a little crafty, Michigania giftie are fulfilled.

Now to make 11 more of them...in different colors, because if I had to work with that much pink & green, I think my eyeballs would fall out.

Vintage love

I have wanted an old manual typewriter for a while; I had two (!) growing up, both Underwoods. This project from toomuchcoffeegirl really sparked my desire, though. Good thing the ribbon is still working; she helped me understand that getting a new one and rewinding it take quite a bit of work. It can be done, but it doesn't sound as easy as it used to be. At least I can use it when the electricity is out ;) Typing away is quite therapeutic, as well.

The kids like banging on it and it stinks a bit from being stored in a barn or garage somewhere for too long, but I love the smell and have a handful of project ideas for it. It's rather small, student-sized and portable; came with a box that I had to put in the garage for airing...really stinky. E wanted to throw out the box but the collector in me said, "No way!"

I love the "self-starter" button on it. I sure could use one of those from time to time.