Afternoon

There was something about the way the sun shone into the windows today that created a sort of calm on the west side of the house. The beams of light that were cast across my office and fiber studio warmed me to my toes. It was the perfect afternoon after spending the morning at the Farmer's Market (freezing, I might add). It's days like this that really should never end. The leaves falling outside my windows are vibrant shades of gold, orange and red. The call of autumn birds provided a nice background to the sounds of autumn. The Schmoo cat napped on the corner of the guest bed while flecks of dust playfully floated in the sunlight. The scene left me feeling completely at peace with things... everything.

There was just something about the sun shining into the windows.

It inspired me to card up and label 54 mini batts of fiber for the November Phat Fiber Box. That is a powerful thing as I usually dread the labeling part and put that off until the absolute, last minute. But today was different. Today I'm left proud of my samples, completely happy with the outcome, and looking forward to shipping them off to Phat Fiber Headquarters.

There was just something about that sun shining through the window into the mounds of fiber (seen above). You can't even help but feel comfortable just looking at it.

If I pass... if I fail...

If I drop out does anyone give a damn?

(thank you BNL for providing the perfect lyrics to start my blog with... yet again)

I'm having one of those weeks. I'm not sure if it's because I spent much of last week doing exactly what I wish I could do monthly (sitting at a craft show bringing in the big bling bling) or if it's just the cycle of ups and downs and I started this week off in a down. After typing it out and looking at it, I'm pretty sure it's a combination of both.

Heading back to work on Monday was a HUGE drag. I wasn't motivated to get some projects done, had trouble keeping focused, was easily distracted, and watched the clock in a big bad way. It didn't help that the new carpet in my office (installed Monday) came with a stink that would even kill the H1N1 virus if given the chance. I just didn't want to be there. I felt like doing something HUGE to see if anyone would even notice. Perhaps I'd kick the water cooler over as I walked back or jammed the copier or perhaps I could go Office Space on the community fax machine - yeah, you could say I was in a sour mood. I was sure that had I done one of those things, it would go unnoticed.

But now I'm better. I'm not sure what did it, but I don't feel like screaming when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning. It's always odd how that works. I adore my job, don't get me wrong. I work with great people in a great environment (they even announced that we'll be closed the week after Christmas this year, so extra vacay time for me) I just wanted to stay in bed and sleep this week. A girls entitled to feeling like that every now and then.

It's supposed to be frigid tomorrow - I love this time of year. I better go find a sweater to wear.

And down.

Prepare for my most random post ever... seriously... did you prepare yourself? Okay, I warned you...

My second year at the Bella Vista Arts and Crafts Festival (my largest and longest show) is behind me. This year was far more successful than last, so there is that. Maybe that makes up for the fact that I still feel wiped out! Okay, maybe that and the extra fiber goodies I bought this week as a treat to myself make up for the fact that I still feel wiped out. Okay - those things and the bag of kettle corn I've been munching on all week. Can't have a craft fair without the kettle corn.

My sister and I worked really hard to make our booth the CUTEST and best looking one there. We thought we succeeded but apparently the requirements for best booth included things like "boring set up", "lack of creativity", "does this look like a set up at the dollar mart?". Now we know. I'm not sure making our booth look bland and boring is what we want to do to win a free spot at next year's show. We'll keep on with our super cute booth because whatever we did, it worked when it came to sales.

My sister even made the words BEST bunting banner (seen above) to welcome shoppers in. I know, I know, it's a shame we didn't win best booth.

In other news, my place of employment has decided to close the week after Christmas so put that with the three days off before Christmas that I already requested, and I'm looking at a 2 week vacation 2 months from now. Let the countdown begin. 2 weeks off to sit in my PJs, bake, spin yarn, knit things, watch Christmas movies, and read cannot come soon enough.

Speaking of baking, I fully intend on baking pumpkin - oatmeal - chocochip muffins this week. I've fully intended on doing so for the past 4 weekends so hopefully announcing it here should push me to actually do it. They make the perfect breakfast/snack/desert/dinner/lunch and I've been craving them since I first made them last year. If you're nice, I'll pass one along to you.

OH, more good news. A client's concert that I was going to have to work on Halloween has been postponed due to a Football game (yeah, only in a college town) so I get Halloween off! Woohoo. I think I'll stock up on Halloween type junk food (and buffalo wings - they go with anything) and sit and watch scary movies with my Sweet Boy. It will be just a couple of days after our 5 year anniversary (from our first date, I know, sappy) so it will be a good way to celebrate. We'll save the fancy going out for another weekend.

I think I've swarmed you with enough randomness for a week. I'll end with a good night.

It's Craft Fair Time

People from far and wide are beginning to arrive in this area of the country for a week/weekend FULL of craft shows. I can't even think of how many we have in this area starting tomorrow... a lot... I do know that. They all center around War Eagle - a HUGE 4 day show surrounding beautiful War Eagle Mill. This is no quaint craft show, this thing is a city in itself. People, lots and lots of people, wait at the gates each morning until the show opens and then they rush in for the kill.

Me, I prefer a show where people don't have to fight to see the booths, I prefer the Bella Vista Arts and Crafts Festival. This is their 41st year as a festival and I'm very excited to participate again. It was a great show last year, busy, but not so much that it killed me. It's also large enough to pull in some serious shoppers and create a traffic jam miles and miles long. It's also outdoors... I think that is important to get people into the mood to buy scarves and yarn for the winter!

So if you in the NWArkansas area, come on over to the Bella Vista Arts and Crafts Festival Thursday, October 15 - Saturday, October 17 and come find me and my sister. We'd love to see you!

New Traditions

baked goods at Christmas time

I found myself emmersed in memories of Holidays past last night as I read through my latest food porn magazine (it doesn't matter which one, all of the November ones do this to me). I'm a sucker for all things Holiday. The period of time between Halloween and New Years is, hands down, the best time of the year... any year.

Even thought the holidays this year will be completely different than any other one in the past, I'm still looking forward to them. While I won't be spending Christmas morning with my mom, helping her cook sweet rolls to munch on while opening presents and laughing near the fireplace, I will be spending it with loved ones. I'll be making new traditions - traditions that will take me years into the future.

Perhaps Christmas morning will be quiet - just me and the Sweet Boy (oh, and Schmoo Kitteh... she likes new cat nip toys for Christmas). Perhaps Thanksgiving will be the same. Some might feel a strong desire to spend the first holidays after a parent dies with tons of family, but me, I'm almost looking forward to some solitude. To a quiet time with baked goods, holiday movies, spiked cider, quilts to sit under on the couch, a good book, a craft project to mess with, a quiet walk on a cold evening, yes, I look forward to all of these things, some new, some not.

Don't get me wrong - I adore any holiday spent with family, but this year will be different and maybe what's best for me this time around isn't what was my favorite last year. Funny how things like that change.

And just to end, I'd like to ask that Royal Caribbean Cruise Line quit playing a Christmas song in their commercial, I just cannot stand it. You're totally psyching me out and I must be patient, Christmas is still a few months away.

I'm Always Reminded

hanging out with a couple of the ladies who reside in the memories of the years I write about in this post. I don't talk to them everyday but I hope they know they have a HUGE place in my life and thankfully help make up the non-baggage memories :)

I am constantly blown away with how a certain song will always make me remember either one event or at least one period in my life. I'm not talking about how "Barbie Girl" reminds me of high school (yes, I agree, that is unfortunate) but how one song always goes with the same memory. David Gray's "Please Forgive Me" always reminds me of Hyde Park Bar and Grill in Austin... alway. Everytime I hear it the first thing I think of is sitting in that restaurant eating those french fries... those glorious fries and hearing this song in the background. The first 4 songs from Enya's album A Day Without Rain always brings to mind driving home from Longhorn Band rehearsal with my windows down the fall of 2001... it never fails.

I'm just amazed how certain memories stick with you like that. It's also interesting how almost every song that comes with a memory like that also all fall within a certain few of years of my life. A time that seems so long ago. A time that molded me into who I am today, but also a time that left many scars... scars that I'm still trying to cover up. It's just hard when my favorite songs and albums come with baggage like that.

However, there are a small handful of songs that reach back a bit further than that. "Closing Time" always reminds me of getting a ride to the movies with a very long ago crush. I'm not sure how I worked that one out, but I liked it, at the age of 18. Funny how that song doesn't bring up the same emotions as the others. Maybe the simplicity of a high school crush didn't do to me what the complexity of 3 years of college did.

Maybe if I listed to newer music I'd have new memories to be reminded of. Yes, I must work on that, new music.

I'm off to do some shopping on Amazon.