Happy Zombie

No… not THAT F-word… the one that’s far worse. Way worse. Fear. So this post about fear evolved after reading Jackie’s BEAUTIFUL post called New Beginnings (BTW… it’s THE Best New Year’s Post Ever). It was as if Jackie wrote it for me and put into words the beehive of jumbled thoughts swirling around in my head. Yes… a light bulb moment for me!

I’ve already taken the steps last year to put aside fear and take some plunges. Some steps resulted in success (you’ll have to wait until summer to find out! Hint, hint… at your newsstand!), and some not. I had some steps that ended at a dead end (rejection), and you know what… it was NO big deal! The fear of rejection is by FAR worse then the actual rejection and I honestly can’t remember what was even rejected.

Sometimes I have fear when I blog my “Sew & Tell” that I’m bragging. I get that little voice in my head (and she sounds just like Courtney Love BTW) who says, “It sounds like you’re bragging”. Yet I tell myself over and over how much I enjoy other bloggers who share… why be so stubborn with my sharing? The Courtney Love voice nags me over on the other shoulder, “Do it, do it… people want to see your creations like you want to see their creations”. What if nobody shared? How awful that would be and how dull the Crafty Blogging world would be! I love blogging and have made many new friends blogging. I don’t want fear to be a part of something I love so much and I have taken a vow to kill the fear. RIP fear. You are dead to me.

So my message is to you my friends, you know who you are. You’re the ones who fear of having a blog, or even leaving comments. Yes… it’s not only ok to comment of people’s blogs… it’s welcomed! And if the Courtney Love voice is saying to you that you have nothing to write about or you don’t have time or no one’s going to read it… well she’s full of crap and she’s got a hypodermic needle filled with liquid fear waiting to inject you with it. Just say no.

Thank you for the new mantra Jackie and Happy New Beginnings to you all!

I love Bonne Maman jam. Like getting a free toy inside, I buy this jam because of the jar. Oh I guess for the jam too, it really is yummy. I must have two dozen of these jars, all holding some sort of treasured gem, buttons, address labels, safety pins, tea bags, sugar cubes, postage stamps, m&m’s, thimbles, embroidery floss, paper clips, yada, yada, yada. If it were not for Bonne Maman, I’d be totally without any organization what so ever (and my toast and waffles would be dry).

I almost always buy the strawberry because it has a red lid. What… you’d like a peanut butter and blackberry sandwich??? Here… enjoy a strawberry PB&J. Actually, I’ve tried all the flavors and they are all yummy and taste like Aunt Ethel’s been canning in her farmhouse kitchen.

Catching up and long overdue… Part One of my recent postal joy. A few weeks ago my best bloggy pal Pam sent me a box of joy. Of course what was in the box rocked my world, but because Pam sent it out of the blue and from her heart made me tear up. It was one of those moments that made me exhale and reflect with a warm-fuzzy-goodness-joy about my life since I’ve been blogging. Oh that sounds so corny, but I KNOW many of you can relate! There’s something very magical about crafty bloggers… just like gardeners and quilters. Very giving, very fun, very inspirational, very warm, very creative… a goodness that’s not defined by one word. I’m searching for The Best Post Ever for the blogger who can describe this good bloggy-love-drug that has no bad side effects or doesn’t give you a hang-over.

So… back to the box from Pam. OMG… look at the little birdie in the mailbox! I had commented on that birdie in one of Pam’s posts… and look what she sends me! I about died with joy (death by kindness)! I’m sure this is supposed to be a Christmas ornament, but I see this as a year-round goodie on my shelf. Pam also sent me “pretty socks” and a mug from In Between Stitches. Just darling and the mug has extra special meaning (our Sisterhood Of The Coffee On The Patio Table Photo). Is Pam awesome or what!

I was so tickled to see Wee Wonderful’s Hillary Lang’s Stitchette’s take on an elfin life! The über talented Hillary has these two lovelies in the freebie section of her store. I was so excited over these cuties I had to make them right away! So cute, so cute, so cute! Thank you Hillary!

I decided I wanted the Stitchettes to be the star of the show, so I did just a simple white on white (snowflake) and solid red. I thought about doing some star blocks in the setting, then thought of doing some pinwheels, and then thought of doing some prairie points. I crumble up and tossed my graphpaper notes (no, not really… into the recycling bin it went) and went Simple to showcase the elfs. A case when less is truly more. I enlarged the patten, so each Stitchette block is 16” tall (finished).

I echo quilted (by hand) around the Stitchettes, then did a cross hatch on the rest of the quilt. Hard to tell by my cruddy photos, but the Stitchettes just kind of pop out by doing this. Click on the photo and you might be better able to see them “poof”.

Now my only problem is having to wait until Christmas to hang this. Though as one to break rules (even my own), I think my little Elf Stitchettes have a perfect year-round place in my office right next to my redwork Roly Poly Circus.

The last movie of 2006 I saw was Little Miss Sunshine. It was also the best! I’m not a movie reviewer and don’t know the appropriate things to say, so you’ll just have to pretend you’re reading a great movie review.

I love little indie movies (or what seem like indie movies). I can do without the CGI, the big score, the multi-million dollar wardrobe and the “it” actors (though I think Steve Carell is an It Kinda Guy). I don’t want to give the story/plot away, but this movie was so refreshing and the characters so interesting… you can’t help but get sucked into this movie and cheer for this family. It was like a good book for my eyes. I even watched it a second time when DS watched it (and he really liked it too).

Added to my material wish list… I want a Vee-dub bus. Mmmm, yes… Aqua on white. One with a functioning transmission.