Over at Posey there has been much discussion of Inspiration

Mostly I get inspired by reading books and other craft blogs. I find it interesting that I get inspired by realizing other people's success. Sometimes even if i am not successful- it still makes me feel inspired to know that someone is.

So I have decided to make you all a list of the most inspiring things in my life (that is assuming anyone bothers to read this):

1st
Well, what can I say? Of Course! It seems like every time I have come up with a big blank wall, there she is with some new idea, or a pretty photo on her blog that makes me think about something new I can try. Even when we lived together at pooh corner I was always finding that she had ideas that were new and fresh- my question is... where does she get her inspiration?

2nd
This is my friend, Holly's blog... Holly is seriously... wacky... and working with her in the office has always been quite a pleasure, but the thing that impresses me most is how she doesn't think there is anything she can't do. Check out her blog and the geometric art she made!! She's always got fun ideas and tons of energy- possibly because of all the "pop" she drinks. Oh and here's a fun fact.

3rd
And here's to all the craft blogs I really like. Besides the ones that are regularly on my links list, there is:
Whip-up
Posey gets Cozy (as mentioned before)
Little Birds
Angry Chicken
Thimble
And OF COURSE
LoobyLU
And Wardrobe Refashion '06

4th
Okay- no laughing! While my home is still not all that super-clean I still do better on a daily basis than I did before I found her. However, the thing that this has really been inspiring is a bit more work at my job- which utterly lacks inspiration right now. It's just a matter of doing what's good for you- even if that means sitting alone in your house for 12 hours a day and- instead of just reading a million craft blogs until Josh gets home- actually working and getting things done.

5th
All the Non-Internet Related things:
Summer
Haydn
simple projects
Creepy Crawly things (By the way, he isn't dead!)
And finally, my husband.

So that's all I've got for now...Anyone want to share something that inspires you?

If I never get to Heaven...

Just watch it!

What's beter than...

Robinella!!!

A post about something...

Well, I guess that there isn't really all that much going on, but there also is.

• Josh FINISHED his thesis! Amazing! I guess I have to buy him a Kayak now...

• The National Storytelling Conference is in two and a half weeks and I am suddenly realizing that I am a bit behind! Got to get some press releases out and a Display made for the grants program!!

• I get a half day off on Friday, as well as Monday and Tuesday! I love holidays! What will I do with all my time off? I have no idea!

• I have had a hankering for a little Lyle Lovett lately (I love aliteration!)... anyone want to share some music?

• I've decided to try and make skirts out of some of my pants... rather than buy new ones I might as well refashion what I already have! Don't worry I will post photos if I do make this attempt.
  

Lovely pretty things...

These are pictures of some card table linens that my mother gave me. They're called Card Table lennins because they are just the right size for a card table and there are four matching napkins. We cleaned out a closet while I was home recently and found these sweet baskets with flowers.


We also found these wonderful Card table lennins that my Aunt Glenda sent home to my mother when she and my Uncle Benton were living in Japan. I remember seeing them when I was a kid and I always loved them. Sadly, we only found one of the napkins.

Josh pulled up the carrots today. According to the calendar they were supposed to be done. All I can really asy is that they did much better than last year.

While we were washing the carrots we found a little caterpillar and I put him in a jar with some of the carrot leaves and stems so maybe he would turn into a butterfly. However, he hasn't actually moved since I put him in the jar, so I think he might not turn into anything.

Also, I just wanted to post some pictures of the flowers in our garden. They will all eventually turn into food. What a neat thought!


Tomatoes


Squash


Green Beans

Potatoes (okay, you won't eat these flowers, but they're really pretty!)

And here's Josh:

Things not worth a whole post:

1. I had a major accomplishment today! I made eggs, sunny-side-up and DIDN'T break the yolks!! Yay me!

2. I am growing an avacado plant. In theory, when it grows to be a foot long I can put it in dirt. Then when it gets to be about three feet I can put it in the ground and in six to ten years I might have avacadoes... Have I ever mentioned how much I love avacadoes??

3. My landlady is really annoying. Why is it that she always comes over when there is something I would prefer that she not see?

4. (Somewhat related to #2) I locked myself out of my house again the other day and had to crawl back in the only unlocked window in the house. Good grief!

5. I am too dependent on makeup! Yes- I am 26 and I still have zits! get over it! My real question is: do they ever really go away???

6. I look really good in hats! I'm not bragging- I just do!

7. Josh is really almost done with his thesis. maybe I will have to buy him a kayak after all...

8. I thought I had run the battery down on josh's camera, but I accidently kept turning it off. oops.

9.I finally have curtains in my Kitchen. I bought these neat handkerchiefs and have them draped over a bar at mid-window...
New curtains: $8.
Curtain Rods: $6
Not being seen naked by the neighbors first thing in the morning: priceless!

I just got back last night from Johnson City. I went to Jonesborough to work for a day in the office. It wasn't a bad trip. I rented a book on tape (The Amateur Marraige by Anne Tyler) and I really liked the book. I'm not normally excited about Anne Tyler- she doesn't offer a lot of solutions, just analogies. However, this book was actually quite good. Very interesting and realistic. It portrayed a couple from the day they met until the day (it seems) when they are finally reconciled to themselves. It's funny because the book is somewhat anti-climactic, but it'svery true to life. I think I know these people, but their names weren't Michael and Pauline... SOmeone read this book so i can talk about it!

Home again

These are pictures of my parent's trip to Israel. Dad took about 800 pictures, so I figured that I could post 4.

Friday: Red

This is my RED picture. I included, not only the hummingbird feeder outside my office window, but also my sad old car. We crosses 175,000 this week. I got her about 30,000 miles and 3 years ago. I know one day she will die, but I am hoping that it doesn't happen any time too soon.

I haven't had a single hummingbird. I think the stuff I used was kind of stale (I got it as a wedding present 3 years ago- about the time I got my car, actually) so I think I need to go to wally world to get some new stuff.

Thursday: Blue

Blue Thursday!

So why on earth am I showing you empty water bottles? Well, we have a little problem with bunnies. They keep nibbling on the greens in our garden (we've had far fewer spring peas this year and I think it's because of the nibbling bunnies). So Josh found a suggestion that we put vinegar in a botle with holes in it. Somehow that was supposed to make the bunnies stay away. I don't think it's working.


And these are the squash plants that our neighbors planted (they used some of our garden space since we'd tilled up the ground and we hadn't planted anything in the corner. The squash plants got really big really fast and the flowers are a beautiful, vibrant yellow. I wish I had gotten a better picture.

And this is a piture I took of the flowers in the bot outside my kitchen door. At first I was mad because it is all blurry, but I still kind of like it. I also like this one:

I love summer and spring because you can really watch things changing. In the winter you can't see any difference from one day to the next. It's just cold. But when you can watch plants come up and see them bloom and produce... it's really satisfying. I think that's why winter seems to drag on forever.

Wednesday: Gray/Black

I was a bit negligent today- taking the picture, but not posting it until now. This is my black/gray. The Birthday Fairy bought this for Josh last year and we just now got around to using it. We sat out last Saturday and burned some wood and marshmallows. It was nice to sit under the full moon with the warm night air and the smell of Josh's pipe.

Tuesday: Brown

Ah- my favorite shade of brown: the color of a perfectly mixed cup of coffee and half and half. Even better is Coffee with Whipping Cream- so rich!- but it gives me heartburn, and I am taking that as a sign from my body that I really don't need to drink that.


I got my Coffee press after a foray into Laura and John's world of Coffee. It is now one of my favorite kitchen items- and much better than the automatic coffee maker (which seems to have found a permanent home under the kitchen cabinet) which takes up cabinet space.

While I am posting I thought I might show you more terminally cute photos of my wonderful niece: Haydn. I got to baby sit for a couple hours today while my sister when to a job interview. We had fun. Basically we watched Elmo, looked at pictures of baby Haydn, jumped on the bed (just a little!) and took a walk through the yard. She was very impressed with our "Barn" in back. She also regaled me with her very own version of "O Worship the King" using our TV antenna as a microphone.

A bit late, but who cares!

More pictures from memorial day.

Monday: White

Okay- so it's not entirely white, but apparently there isn't alot of white inside my house. But- HEY! the picture is much better!

This is my mother's stool. When we were grouwing up it was always int he kitchen and little kids could sit on top of it is they didn't quite reach the table. When I moved out I somehow ended up with it. I hope my Mom doesn't see it and want it back!

Color Week

One of the craft blogs that I check daily is called Little Birds. This week they are having color week and I thought I might try to follow it as well. I love Stephanie's pictures because there is usually great color and light. Lets face it, my pictures are awful. So I've decided to start using Josh's camera, since it doesn't have a keychain attached to it (and mine does). Since I can hardly turn Josh's camera on by myself, I figure I could use some practice.

So here's the schedule for the week:

monday :: white
tuesday :: brown
wednesday :: black/gray (a color, not a black & white photo)
thursday :: blue
friday :: red

I'll post the white thing this afternoon.

Feminine Mystique

Water... Water... Water... blah Blah BLAH!

Okay that is out of my system (literally! I'm running to the bathroom once an hour!)

On a totally different note I was thinking about boobs this morning (sorry guys- this one's for the girls). We all have them- some more than others... and some less. I still remember how excited I was when iwas buying my senior prom dress and needed a strapless bra, and realized that I needed a B cup! Gentlemen- if you are still reading- imagine that men's underwear came in sizes that reflected more then the size of your posterior... now you get it. Hmmm- maybe that was too personal. Oh well.

So, I have this friend, Betty, who had breast cancer and had to have one of her breasts removed. She has a very long, frustrating story about her prosthesis and how Fed-ex lost it. She had to be fitted for it a second time (not something she particularly enjoyed once). She has a sense of humor about the whole thing- which I guess is necessary. So I found this article on Knitty about a woman who took matters into her own hands- so to speak. I suggest you read it.

Chara

More about Water:

This is an excerpt from a letter about
why you should drink more water:

I always drank some water but
couldn't break my addiction to
2-3 Diet Cokes a day. As a
hundred pound weight loser, I
drank a Diet Coke whenever I
wanted excess food.  When I
lost my voice last summer, I
was diagnosed with gastric
reflux disorder, impinging on my vocal cords. As
I sing professionally, this was a major crisis.
I was given a list of foods to avoid -- citrus,
tomato, spicy foods, caffeine -- but first on the
list was carbonated beverages, especially colas,
diet or otherwise, caffeiniated or caffeine free.
For those of you who are not professional singers,
you should know that the acid in colas can cause
problems in your esophagus which can lead to a
precancerous condition. My doctor (ENT) said that
Diet Coke was terrible to drink but pretty useful
to clean your car battery.  That should tell us
something.

Just think! There are so many people with Acid reflux
out there. What if it's largely being caused by our inability
to give up these drinks that are really really bad for us??

I promise I'm just about off this soapbox for now!

Cozy Rosie

I absolutely LOVE Posie Gets Cozy and I am definitely on the same page as today's post. There are a bunch of other buton flowers on it-so check them out! Mine is not this pretty!
These are actually bobby pins- wouldn't that be cute!

Also, do you remember when I posted this? I still haven't tried that.

Or this for that matter!
So much to do!

Crafty Chara

These are the button flowers I made last night- I know the pictures are awful! They are really neat and I am enjoying them. Josh seems to kind of like them, too- as much as boys really notice that sort of thing.



























Also, I made the button on thejacket... It only took me about 15 minutes and I think it adds something. It's only felt and a button. Josh said it made me look Teachery, but that really wasn't what i was going for. I got inspired when I saw this:


I might keep playing with it while I still have a bunch of felt and buttons around.

My Weekend Fun

In an effort to honor Whipup's "Finish What You have" month I prepared something to finish. (also I need to get to that crocheted blanket that I am working on for Josh's brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Heena).
I went to an antique store on Saturday with my Mom and we were searching for buttons. We found some pretty big jars of buttons but neither one of us were convinced that they were actually antiques and i wasn't paying $32 for a bunch of buttons I could get at Jo-Ann's. I finally found some in some little baggies that were $2 each. I'm not sure they were really antiques either, but there were some interesting buttons in there.
I also looked through some buttons that my Mom had and picked a few out. This is all for my flower project.



I also found some really neat Aprons, which I would like to use for curtains in my kitchen, but they don't match well enough to use both in the same room. I am hoping that I can find another one (maybe like the cross stitch one) to go in the kitchen. I just adore the other one, though! the colors are great and the geometric pattern is really attractive. Maybe I'll just wear it!

I'm going to work on the flower project this afternoon, so maybe you'll get to see some pictures of a finished project this afternoon.

Water

My goal for June is to drink more water (this is a flylady goal that I have decided might be a good idea). This e-mail is from Leanne (from Saving Dinner) and it gives me plenty of good reasons why this is a pretty important new habit to acquire. Here is the text from her e-mail:

It's time you made peace with the FACT that your body needs
water. If you're interested in making sure your body uses
the nutrients you give it via food, you gotta drink water.
If you're battling blemishes and want nicer skin, you gotta
drink water. If you're wanting to avoid constipation,
you're gonna want get to friendly with water.

How's that New Year's resolution coming? You know the one
I'm talking about—the lose weight one. Well, water is a
pretty painless way to help you with that goal, too. If
you're wanting to lose some body clutter, you're gonna
need to keep your water bottle handy. FlyLady and I each
lost Body Clutter(you can read all about it in our book,
Body Clutter), and drinking water was absolutely tops on
both of our lists for one of the reasons why we succeeded.

Here's the deal--you're a grown up now and it's time to
stop rebelling and act like a big girl. ;-) Remember,
we're just talking about water here; I'm not asking you
to bungee jump off a cliff or take up scuba diving with
sharks.

Fact is, we don't drink enough water. But we do drink
enough soda--just look at the soft drink size you can
get at your nearest convenience store.  A "Super Gulp"
or whatever they're called in your neck of the woods
holds 32 ounces of soft drink.  Just think, you can
drink a whole quart of cola and still be dehydrated!

And you will be, too. The only thing that will truly
quench that thirst and hydrate your body is water.
Water makes up nearly 70% of the human body.  Almost
every body function we have needs water. Water carries
the good stuff in (nutrients) and it's water that takes
the bad stuff out (poop).  Water maintains body
temperature and helps the circulatory system.  Water
is absolutely essential and yet, most people don't get
enough.  Instead of listening to our bodies, we turn
a deaf ear and order another Super Gulp.

She also wrote a rather lengthy e-mail about the detrimental
effects of soda- especially diet soda!

The University of Texas Health Science Center
in San Antonio ran an eight year study to
study the effects of soft drink use. Sharon P.
Fowler, MPH, who ran the study, had this shocking
statement to say,"What didn't surprise us was
that total soft  drink use was linked to over-
weight and obesity.  What was surprising was
when we looked at people only drinking diet soft
drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

Of the 622 participants—all of normal weight at the
beginning of the study, about a third became
overweight or obese.

For the regular soft drink drinkers, the risk of
becoming overweight or obese was:

*26% for up to ½ can each day
*30.4% for ½ to one can each day
*32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
*47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.

But look at the increase for diet soft-drink drinkers!

*36% for up to ½ can per day
*37.5% for ½ to one can per day
*54.5% for 1 to 2 cans per day
*57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.

For each can of diet soda consumed, a person's risk of
obesity went up 41%!!!

That should give you something to think about next time you order
a diet soda!  Just a Suggestion: if you decide to try to drink more 
water you might want to read this first.

Memorial Day

I wanted to post our pictures of memorial day but our pictures are stuck on Josh's computer at the moment. We went to John and Laura's house and had a hot, but really good time. Laura thought we were not cute enough to post pictures of us- just Haydn. So I am posting my paren't pictures.

Okay, so Haydn IS cute.