Inspiration Walls

Updating my blog seems to be more difficult for me than I ever think it's going to be. It still takes me a while if I want to add pictures and links and if I take forever between posts (like now) I am embarrassed. While my reddened face calms down let me say that I am collecting more fabric (and some supplies) to giveaway and will hopefully have it all posted here by the end of the week.

I've seen so many inspiration boards pictured on blogs and I love them all. I would show you mine if I could uncover it to take a photo, but my house has only one path through it right now due to furniture and memorabilia I've brought in from my mother's farm the last week or two. Her farm sold and we have only about 10 more days to empty the barn and the milk house, but at the rate I'm going we should just put everything in a huge truck and bring it to MY house because I'm having a difficult time turning loose of things that hold good memories. The only room in my house uncluttered and uncovered enough to enjoy is the dd's bedroom. She dared me to put ANY of my haul in there, and since school started yesterday she has it cleaned up and organized. Everything is in its place. She even has "inspiration walls".....

and an "inspiration desk" too.

When she was small she would draw and color for hours, literally hours. By the time she was six she had outgrown her little girl desk and I decided to buy two file cabinets and put a piece of wood across the top. My mother had the idea of a countertop instead of wood due to easy cleanup of paints and markers AND the back piece going up the wall which would prevent things from being lost over the back edge. The 5' countertop piece was $25 at Lowe's and I bought two of the $20 cheapo file drawers at Walmart. That was over 11 years ago and it is still a part of her.

The first time I saw something written on her desktop was about 3 years ago when she had gotten deep into Shakespeare. She had written a quote on it in Sharpie marker and at first I was ill, but by the time she got home I decided it wasn't a big deal because this $25 piece of countertop isn't a family heirloom. lol. She began to write song lyrics, Bible verses, poetry, and the name of her future husband, Daniel Radcliffe. (He hasn't met her yet though.) Her friends sign her desk in some way when visiting and sometimes a simple new drawing will appear. My dd will NOT part with this desk. Do NOT even discuss it with her. And it thrills me because she is surrounding herself with creativity. I'm thankful for that because I can't imagine life without creativity and I want it in her life. It has brought me many hours of joy and comfort. I've solved my problems and everyone else's through the years while sewing and cross stitching. Hours on end of journal writing have helped me avoid a therapist I couldn't afford anyway. Scrapbooks have told the life of many a loved relative. Music has calmed me, set me on fire and made me cry, all in a matter of minutes. I picture myself bored without creativity so I'm thankful I have a bit of it, and I'm especially thankful my dd does.

Fabric Giveaway Winner in the Dog Days of Summer

Everyone I talk to is sweltering in this heat right now. I don't know about you, but I'm not moving around more than I have to because the more I move, the hotter I get. The AC is running and so are the fans.

This past weekend my dd and I went to the beach for a few days with my best friend and her dd. We had the best time! Saturday we stayed in the hotel pools and lazy rivers, had a good dinner and strolled through the mega shops at Broadway at the Beach. Sunday we were at a waterpark all day where my best friend and I pretended we were 20 years old again and had a blast riding down the slides and corkscrews laughing and screaming our heads off! Our daughters said they always knew where we were in the park due to our screaming! Bovine's at Murrell's Inlet was dinner (incredible and affordable meal!) and a putt putt course that night. After checking out of the hotel Monday we visited several consignment shops where I lucked up on a couple of vintage sheets, some fabric for nearly nothing. cute cute shoes and a purse for dd, and a couple of vintage linens and handkerchiefs. I think it's great what thrifting does to my shopping mind because nothing at the specialty shops Saturday interested me at all, yet thrift and consignment shops are magnets for me. I'm hoping its rubbing off on dd too.

I appreciate all of you visiting and commenting and in return I will continue to give away fabric.

Several commented at how lucky we are in this area to have Mary Jo's Cloth Shop and I know I am. I've been told that Mary Jo (who IS a real person by the way) is in her mid 70's now and still works 6 days a week at her shop. She's always looking for new fabrics and for what her customers want. I'm going back next Friday or Saturday and I've been making a list of everything I'll be looking for, hoping I can stick to that list. (fat chance)

Dana commented about the Bathing Beauties fabric by Loralie Designs that I bought at Mary Jo's and wanted to know what I'm going to make with it. My main project with it is for (15) postcards I'm trying to finish up. I'm "fussy cutting" those lovely ladies from the fabric and appliqueing them to another fabric and making postcards. I've been in a postcard exchange that began in the spring and ends this month. I think that I'll use some to make a tote bag for the beach for next year, or maybe line a summer purse with it.

Now for the winner of the fabric. This time I put the numbers 1 through 9 in a jar to draw from. (There were 4 comments not in the drawing.) I drew a paper and it was #3 - Katherine. So if you will get your address to me at dynacinsc@yahoo.com I will get your fabric in the mail to you.
Check back next week ya'll. There's lots more fabric to shed!