As part of What's are U up to today? Wednesdays, over on we're all mad here! I'm posting a little video I made of my art journaling process:
LOVE EACH NEW DAY!
03/16/2011
03/08/2011
I need a sister wife!
As the old joke among women goes, "I could REALLY use a wife!"
I'm not a huge follower of the TLC show Sister Wives, but after a week down and sick I can totally appreciate the need for them! I was talking to my good friend Holly a couple months ago while we were cooking dinner together for our boys, and it really made me stop and think about this whole sister wife craze. I mean, I'm pretty sure my brain will never come around to giving up nighttime snuggles with Larry so another woman can, but you have to admit that other than the sex thing there are some HUGE arguments to be made in favor of having an extra wife or two around to help out.
First up ... the obvious: sharing of the chores
How awesome would it be to have a wife to help you with all the things you need to get done in a single day?! We moms/wives are always complaining about how we never have enough time ... how we could use an extra set of hands ... how much MORE we could get done if someone ... anyone ... would just help out a little more. Yeah, you can argue that that's what children are for, but I have two teenagers, and let me tell you that trying to get them to help me sometimes is worse than a trip to the dentist. At least he smiles while he digging around in my mouth, right? And yeah yeah, I could ask my husband for more help, but listen ladies ... the guy already goes to work EVERY SINGLE DAY so I can stay home and make art. If you think I'm screwing that up just to get more help you're out of your damn mind! Plus, it's just so wonderful to have another women in the kitchen with you while you cook. Especially if they love to cook as much as you do - it's a constant evening of laughter, extra hands, and plenty of help to get all the parts of the meal done at once without running around like a headless chicken or burning something. Starting to see my point yet?
number two: being sick
There is NOTHING worse than being sick when you're the mom (and primary caregiver in the house). It just seems to irritate EVERYONE when you're sick, and they'd all much rather avoid you and your plague than make you soup or hold your hand while you whine and cry. Husband's and children are NOT the best when it comes to nursing Mom now are they? You don't need to lie to me ... I've been there! How awesome would it be to have a wife to make you soup, get you new books from the library or magazines from the store, refill your water glass when you're too achey to drag yourself up off the couch? Don't forget those chores! Your family may try to keep up on them for you, but more often than not they just sit and grow into mountains of laundry or a sink full of dishes.
number three: commiserating on personal family stuff
Yes, you can talk to your close gal pals about stuff, but there is always SOMETHING that you would just rather keep private than share with people when it comes to marriage and your family. Imagine having someone who is on the inside from the get-go, and doesn't need to be made to understand something sticky, unusual or extremely private. You could just shoot them that LOOK and they would know exactly what you need to talk about without that whole introduction explaining the circumstances.
I have an amazing support group of women, but I don't always want to explain or burden them when I'm stressed out about money, seriously worried about my marriage, or have something uber personal on my mind. Don't get me wrong, they would all be there in a minute for me, but I don't always feel up to the challenge of the explanation. My sister wife on the other hand would already know the back story, and be able to hit the ground running with advice. If you haven't had these types of instances crop up in your marriage you are either super lucky or haven't been married long enough.
If you are going to be married til death do us part there are going to be some earthquakes people ... trust me!
So, in short ... while I'm not down with the whole "my husband sleeping in someone else's bed", I have to confess that I could really use a sister wife! The evidence to support the positives of the arrangement are too overwhelming to ignore. I'm pretty sure I'm never going to get one, but it's nice to daydream. Thoughts?
LOVE EACH NEW DAY
03/03/2011
today - march 3rd 2011: it's ALL about the ideas
So, my whole life I've been home by myself A LOT, and something I've done for as long as I can remember is have these running dialogues upstairs revolving around ideas and thoughts. Things I want to do in life, sparks of art, ideas about my home, children, marriage , friends, etc. are all banging around in there all day sorting themselves out. I suppose this is where the magic happens. I suspect this is why I'm so terrible at blogging; instead of sitting and writing out everything I'm thinking I just move on to the next thought or idea. Sometimes the really sparkly ones come back around again or mull around in a constant state of pout until I work them out. You can call it inspiration ... you can call it your inner voice ... you can call it an idea. Whatever you choose to call it it's that "whatever" that makes things happen.
There's been a lot of talk in the sewing and mixed media world lately about ideas ... sparks ... sprouts. Where we get them, what happens when we loose them, how it hurts when someone steals them away, how to turn them back on when the process is stapled shut. You get my drift. I find the whole thing fascinating and exciting. It turns my idea engine on pumping juice full steam ahead through my brain. I think that's why I'm so drawn to writing How To style articles. I love SHARING many of these sparks with you.
I get a indescribable comfort in sharing my ideas with you. I think it's really important in life to be a good person, and to me, part of that is sharing myself with others. The real me ... the one that loves to smile and laugh, the thinker, the idea engine ... life is so short my friends ... it really truly is. Three people I know have lost someone they love this week; one at the end ... one in the middle ... and the most tragic of all to me: the one who hadn't even hardly had a chance to start. LIFE IS SO SHORT ... please use it to make your life the most.
SO, I'm choosing to live my life a little more out there today. I'm going to use this blog to talk about life, being 40, what effect that has on your ideas and thoughts, our children and their foibles, lifting each other up instead of shoving each other out of the way like life is a race, sharing ourselves with our friends and families, how to change the things about ourselves that drag us down, and how to grow. I'm going on a journey this year, and want to share it with all of you.
I'm reading a bunch of books, taking classes, and experimenting on how to explore yourself through your art and journaling, how to restore your soul, how to free motion stitch, how to sketch journal, how to be happier, being an optimist, watercolor journaling, how to create she art, and much more. I'm going to share my thoughts and ideas with all of you in the hopes that you will share your thoughts, ideas, sparks, and selves with others. I'm joining an amazing thing I see happening in my little world all around me, and calling you up to do the same. In the end I hope to have a new book to share with all of you, and I hope you come along for the ride.
LOVE EACH NEW DAY!
{ the song I'm listening to right now is: }
I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
03/01/2011
get your personalized bookplate
MIXED and STITCHED
is now available for pre-order on AMAZON!
I cannot believe that we’re finally here! I’m beyond excited, and to celebrate I’m running a little special to help sell advanced copies.Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project has been talking in her newsletter recently about how important pre-sales are to books. That got me thinking about pre-sales for my book, and what I could do to increase sales.Gretchen has been offering to send bookplates to anyone who pre-orders a copy of her book, and I think it's a brilliant idea! So, I'm going to be a naughty copy cat, and do something along the same lines as Gretchen.
If you purchase MIXED and STITCHED via pre-order I will send you a personalized - hand drawn bookplate to slap inside the front cover! That’s right, you’ll get a bookplate drawn by little ole me, and we’re not talking just a printed out version folks. We’re talking drawn by ME just for YOU. Each one will be personalized, and ONE OF A KIND!
All you have to do to receive yours is email or snail mail me a copy of your receipt, and I’ll draw one up and pop it in the mail to you. You don’t need to send postage ... just an copy of your receipt with the payment method blacked out. I’ll do all the rest. A week later you’ll get a bookplate made just for your copy in your mailbox with a thank you note for your support!
JUST CLICK THE LINK TO BUY YOUR COPY!
pre-order MIXED and STITCHED on AMAZON
{ offer good March 1st, 2011 - official release date of MIXED and STITCHED }
[ after that time you will still be able to receive a personalized bookplate, but it will be a printed copy of 1 design and not an original drawing - if you purchased a copy prior to 3/1/11 I will still honor your receipt, just not after the release date ]
now go make art!
JOIN MY MAILING LIST ON THE SIDEBAR OR BY CLICKING THIS LINK:
02/18/2011
09/29/2010
09/16/2010
mail love - flickr post
mail love from Leah Virsik
I was completely surprised to find an email in my inbox Saturday from Leah Virsik. I've been stalking her on flickr for a bit now, and had no idea she was paying attention. She emailed to let me know that she wanted to "meet" me through our art, and start out by sending me one of the pieces I had "Favorite"ed!
How stinkin' awesome is that?!
Well, her parcel arrived yesterday, and I'm even more in love with it in person. I can't explain it, but the textures in this piece just sing under my fingertips. Many of you know that I have a thing with textures, and this piece is like a candy store for your fingers. Each element has a texture completely different from the one next to it. It's like readying a picture book in braille!
Leah - thank you so much for your generosity, email, and postcard. I REALLY look forward to getting to know you better through our art. I'll be making something fun for you this weekend, and am so excited to see where this adventure leads us!
xox
Jen
I was completely surprised to find an email in my inbox Saturday from Leah Virsik. I've been stalking her on flickr for a bit now, and had no idea she was paying attention. She emailed to let me know that she wanted to "meet" me through our art, and start out by sending me one of the pieces I had "Favorite"ed!
How stinkin' awesome is that?!
Well, her parcel arrived yesterday, and I'm even more in love with it in person. I can't explain it, but the textures in this piece just sing under my fingertips. Many of you know that I have a thing with textures, and this piece is like a candy store for your fingers. Each element has a texture completely different from the one next to it. It's like readying a picture book in braille!
Leah - thank you so much for your generosity, email, and postcard. I REALLY look forward to getting to know you better through our art. I'll be making something fun for you this weekend, and am so excited to see where this adventure leads us!
xox
Jen
