Friday, May 1, 2009

Congratulations!

Congratulations Carol Ann Duffy - the first woman poet laureate!


When did your name
change from a proper noun
to a charm?

Its three vowels
like jewels
on the thread of my breath.

Its consonants
brushing my mouth
like a kiss.

I love your name.
I say it again and again
in this summer rain.

I see it,
discreet in the alphabet,
like a wish.

I pray it
into the night
till its letters are light.

I hear your name
rhyming, rhyming,
rhyming with everything.

Written by Carol Ann


Happy May Day!

Do you have your May Day Baskets ready? I remember making these as kids. The funnest part was ringing the doorbell and dashing away! I would make them just to get to do this! lol I haven't seen a May Basket for years. I hope not everyone has forgotten them. It's still hard for me to believe it is spring really. The grass is growing like hay in my yard, it's been snowing, raining and too cold for mowing this week. There's heavy frost on my jeep this morning, I hope my little daffodils made it! I'm still hoping for a warmer May this year. We had our heat on until June last year..then a few weeks and we were in the air conditioning. Being the eternal optimist, I haven't given up hope yet!

I did get some spring cleaning done in the last few weeks. It does feel so good to have the cob webs wiped away, walls washed, cupboards cleaned and clean carpets! I still have windows to tackle, and a few other things, but the majority is getting done. I also took the time to get my fiber studio cleaned out, now that is refreshing! I love a clean start! This inspired me to get back into my dye pots, and will have new batts on the menu again soon in my shop, so look for those updates! I had a great month at ilashdesigns. It has been so much fun working on new projects and chatting it up with new contacts! I have mostly good days, and when I need a boost, I just go read my feed backs. There are truly some wonderful people out there, that like me and my work. It can be challenging starting anything new, so the positive feedback and contacts keeps me going. I hope I can help people feel inspired about this craft too! I'd like to think there is room for EVEYONE in this arena! I guess, if I was looking to make a big, national, earth shattering business I might possibly take the view that I was in some kind of competition. I don't view life or business like it's a competition. I believe it's not WHERE you live, but HOW you live. How do you live?

I try to live so I can sleep at night peacefully, and satisfied, but more importantly, it's how I feel when I arise! I know myself well enough to know that me feeling peaceful comes from doing as right as I can for other people including myself and satisfied comes from that AND being productive in the right ways for me. When I lay my head down on my pillow at night, my mind skips across my worries and concerns. But when I arise is when I feel my objective mind is at it's best. I try to use that to observe myself. That is the compass I use to navigate through my day, next night, next day..and well life. One thing I know about myself is, I don't like to let things pile up. I find absolutely no use in that. When things start piling up, my compass gets stuck, I feel unsettled and have low energy. Then I know, it's time to clean house in as many ways as I need to attain balance. It sometimes helps me to try and live my life every day, fully aware that my life can change in an instant. I know that the people and things that I find valuable today could be gone, and I might be having to worry about where my next meal might be coming from, or shower, or job. There are too many incidentals in life to take one thing or person for granted. Taking inventory..then usually all of this energy sometimes inspires me to intentionally clean my plate. Start NEW! Then I try to find ways to celebrate the challenges. I've made new starts in big ways in my life, changing jobs, changing houses, changing towns, changing friends, changing my attitude..and it all boils down to that compass I read and navigate by, when I arise. Then I mutter "it's going to be a looooooong ride Fred! Get yur (enter appropriate head gear here) on!" And I just usually try to pick the party hat and move on! Celebrate! It's more fun!

Thank you to all who have inspired me! I appreciate every one, and I hope you feel inspired to celebrate something today too!

Well, May 1rst, brings us to my newest Monthly Fiberlicious Give Away winner! The winner, chosen by Random Number Generator for the April Give Away, is: Tumbleweed Trails! Congratulations Tumbleweed! Thank you so much for entering and I hope you enjoy your free gift!

Please stay tuned for my May Fiberlicious Give Away. Reminder: please post to me your contact info here on my blog to enter the Give Away each month you would like to be included in the drawing. Anyone purchasing anything from my shop is also entered, or including me in a treasury on Etsy. No purchase is necessary to win. It is free! I will post new prize gifts today! So stay tuned! :) Ny.

May is big birthdays month for my family..I'm off to find my hat..:)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

APRIL FIBERLICIOUS GIVEAWAY!!!






Cheers all you good people! Thanks for stopping by!

The photos above are the prizes to be given away in my APRIL FIBERLICIOUS GIVEAWAY!
Prizes offered are:
1. GI Jane, hand spun, hand dyed 2 ply Merino, 50 yards, bulky weight at 6 WPI
2. Hand knit pink head band from acrylic novelty yarns, size 3"x22". Head band will stretch to accommodate a slightly larger head size.
3. Set of 4 double pointed needles by Boye, size 3, 7"
4. Knifty Knitter Loom clips. These clips only fit Provo Craft knitting Looms.

This promotional offering will run from 4/1/09 - 4/30/09. I hope to be able to offer my Monthly Fiberlicious Giveaway each month through 2009. The chosen winner, selected by random number generator, will be announced here and in my shop on Etsy on May 1st, 2009. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO WIN!

To enter the April Fiberlicious Giveaway post a comment to my blog from the e-mail address you wish to be contacted for address confirmation for your free gift! There will be one winner for each month. I will post 4 items and the winner will get to choose one of the four items. The items I have chosen as giveaway gifts are mostly craft items I have in my stash. I will try to offer fiber related items each month, but I might throw in something special I think might be loved by someone that is not fiber related.

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding my April Fiberlicious Giveaway. I hope you win!!! Good Luck!!!! and Happy Crafting!!!!!!
Ny.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I'm still blue........



Well, back to rain/snow/cold..for a few days...should be another beautiful weekend coming up tho, so we are looking forward to that..so we can mow? whats wrong with that picture? anyways..here's what I created today...have a few batts to put up too..but running out of steam..